


Kakashi Hatake's Magical Misadventure

by AJSbarcea



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, BAMF Might Gai, Emotionally constipated Kakashi, Eventual Smut, Gai is cute and Kakashi thirsts for him, Humor, Kakashi is smitten but refuses to admit it, M/M, Magic Schools, Magic dogs are familiars, Pakkun is the best, Romance, Sad Hatake Kakashi, Sakumo's death is mysterious, The Minato is alive, Weird tongue fetish, Wizards and Witches, magic has its own personality, slow burn--kinda?, underground cults
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:20:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 43,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26166271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJSbarcea/pseuds/AJSbarcea
Summary: Recruited at the age of five as a soldier in training to serve his nation, Kakashi Hatake adopts the persona of the Black Dog--the Counter Terrorism Unit's most capable wizard and skilled agent. He's calculating, brutally efficient, and (according to the reigning Chancellor of Baeun) frighteningly powerful. It's no wonder his code name as the Black Dog strikes equal amounts of fear as it does awe into the hearts of his enemies.So when Kakashi accepts a mission from the chancellor himself to investigate some high profile abductions of prominent S-Class castors, he assumes this mission will be like all the others. Except, there's one thing about this mission that is distinctly different than all the others--besides the witch with a tongue fetish, weird underground cults, and an abundance of homework assignments--no. This mission has something Kakashi has never encountered before.An idiot, hot-blooded man.Or rather, an idiot, hot blooded man Kakashi may or may not find totally irresistible.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Comments: 39
Kudos: 74





	1. Introduction: A Lay of the Land

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a brief introduction to the world and the magic to kind of give a basis. I'm a HUGE Kakagai fan (YEET) and couldn't help myself. I already have like 25 chapters of this story written. If you don't like long fics this isn't for you! HOWEVER, I'm trying my hand at a slow burn (and by slow burn I mean not having them boink within the first five chapters) SOOO we'll see how this goes. Enjoy!

**_Prologue:_** **_Introduction to the Lands_**

The world was once known as the Great Lands where spirits and gods roamed freely, their magic seeping deep into the earth until life and magic entwined as one. For a millennium, the Great Beings of old lingered on this plain. From them, the beginnings of civilization were nurtured and born, and the mortal age met its inception. There were creatures of varying magic and species, but there were none more numerous or greater than the humans, who wielded magic as if they were one with it. Created by the gods, humans grew to claim the Great Lands as their own. Seeing that their time on this plain was over, the spirits and gods moved on to the celestial realm, leaving the fate of their beloved Great Lands in the hands of the mortals. 

Over time, the Great Lands became individual nations, ruled by a respective magic. These civilizations grew in power and knowledge, amassing large forces of fighters to defend their borders. Very soon, these nations fell into a power struggle, each trying to become the dominant force. This power struggle was violent and cruel, and was known as the First Great War, and resulted in the formation of Five Core Nations that stood above all the others. 

At the center of these five nations was Acaron, who worshipped the Earth Spirit Alkalis and dedicated their lives to the study of the ancient magic wielded by the first Great Beings. To the south, nestled where the land grows cold and the springs are short but lovely was Egalia, an icy land of great beauty. Here, the people followed the teachings of Egalora the Water Dragon, and mastered the ways of alchemy and potions. To the far east, guarded by a barrier wall of volcanic plains and rigid mountains was Baeun, the home of fire and jewels. The protector of Baeun was the Shaman Spirit Beau, the greatest wielder of fire known to written history. In this nation, the medical arts of healing were unmatched and it was said the greatest medical witches and wizards of history were born to the rich soils of Baeun. Sitting in a land above the ground, the nation of Wynsor to the Northwest was concealed within the clouds. Wynsor’s beauty came from its position high in the sky, where powerful wind and air magic kept the flying capital afloat. It is believed that the essence of Willa the Wind Spirit’s power was buried deep within the core of Wynsor, thus enabling its magnificent feat of flight. In this nation, magic wielders incorporated magic into every aspect of technology and engineering, and was said to be the pinnacle of innovation. Lastly, to the north, hidden away on a lone continent off the shores of the Great Land lay Ideus, protected by the Bird of Lightning. Off it’s shores, a never ending storm protected the island from all invaders. The people of this land, in respect to the great knowledge the Lightning Bird possessed, dedicated their lives to the scholarly aspect of magic. 

Each of these Great Nations coexisted in an unsteady peace. The desire for greater power was too much to ignore and war was sometimes inevitable, but after the Second Great War, whose catastrophes were abhorred by many, a greater, more sturdy peace linked the Great Nations through a conjoined Council of Magic. It was in this time that greater cohesion was formed between the Great Nations, allowing the lesser nations to flourish as well. Still, peace is as fleeting as a mortal's life, and the risk of darkness once again consuming the world is one that is too great to ignore.

It is here, at this point in mortal history, that we begin our tale. 

The war has just ended, but it’s tragedies are everlasting. As of now, a small boy with silver hair, the color of starlight under a stormy night, weeps next to his father’s lifeless form. There is pain and heartache in the realization that this small child, still so new to this world, is left all alone to navigate its many horrors. He cries and cries and cries, because his father will never wake up, and he cries until he physically has no tears left to shed. Kakashi Hatake is alone, and the realization is as terrifying as it is saddening. 


	2. Chapter One: The CTU's Kakashi Hatake!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly guys. Don't expect too much plot. All I really want to do is just see Kakagai pine and kiss. And boink. But that's because I'm a pervert :) ALSO Castors is the general term for all magic users. Wizards=generally males. Witches=generally females. There's five main nations and a whole bunch of 'lesser' nations just like in the Naruto anime. Enjoy!

**_Chapter One: The CTU’s Kakashi Hatake_ **

“Come in, Black Dog. We need your report.” The abstract voice in his head echoes until his only thoughts are consumed with his order to report back to his senior supervisor. There’s a grunt of annoyance on the Black Dog’s part. He has no desire to make his report yet. In fact, his only desire is to clean the crimson filth from his uniform and sleep until the next morning comes.

Even so, the Black Dog in the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Baeun Special Operations, otherwise known as Kakashi Hatake, dutifully begins the long walk to HQ. When it is clear that his intent is to deliver his debriefing, the echoing order inside his head dims to a dull, low reminder. The quiet is welcomed. Kakashi hates it when people are inside his head. It goes against all the training he’s received since he was first found as a young five year old sprawled over his dad’s frigid corpse. 

“Black Dog, welcome back.” It is Eisha, the assistant to the Director, that greets him at the front of two ostentatiously large wooden doors. Behind those doors, Kakashi knows the Director is waiting for him, probably resting her chin on the bridge of her hands as she glares angrily at everything and everyone. The Director isn’t necessarily mean, but her demeanor is less than welcoming. She’s always scowling, even when she’s happy, which makes for a weird dichotomy between her expression and her actual emotions. 

Kakashi greets Eisha with a silent nod. He’s not really in the mood to talk, and so he shoves his bloodied hands deep within his pockets as Eisha holds the door open for him. The office he steps into is brightly lit, and littered with piles of books and unfinished paperwork. There is a guest chair haphazardly placed in the middle of the office floor, while the director, a blonde, middle aged woman with a bosom that seemed impossibly large for her small frame, sat seated behind her mahogany desk. The desk was just as cluttered as the rest of the room, and it appeared the Director had no desire to do anything about it. Not that Kakashi ever thought she would. Tsunade wasn’t exactly known for her organizational prowess. 

Coming to a standstill in the middle of the room, Kakashi boredly watched as Tsunade studied him with her scrutinizing, light brown eyes. She was a fairly pretty woman despite her age, with smooth pale skin and not an ounce of grey in her blonde hair. There were rumors that Tsunade used a special type of magic to keep her youthful appearance, but Kakashi sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to call her out on it. 

The woman had a temper, after all. 

“Are you injured?” Her question was simple, and probably in response to the thick amount of blood that soaked through his uniform. When Kakashi first accepted his mission to infiltrate a minor league gang in the heart of Konoha City and scope out their newly acquired weapons, he hadn’t planned on getting his hands dirty, but there there was a stealth witch who thought they were so clever as to alert the entire warehouse of Kakashi’s presence and well...the rest was history. 

“It’s not my blood.” He answered, his voice tired and disinterested. He knew he was supposed to behave a certain way in front of his Director, but he had no desire to play politics at the moment. A bath truly sounded like a blessing, and it was the only thought plaguing his mind. That, and a nice nap. 

“The mission was a success, by the way.” He remarked offhandedly, as if he just remembered the actual reason he was here.

Tsunade sighed, her head falling to lean against her hands, “Chancellor Minato said you would be a handful. I honestly didn’t think you could be any worse than Jiraiya but here we are.” 

Kakashi remained silent, but the blood on his mask was beginning to soak through, and the urge to scrub his skin raw was becoming less of an itch and more of an ache. 

“Kakashi…” The sound of Tsunade’s chair scratching against the floor preceded the movement of the Director as she stood and walked around her desk. She was shorter than Kakashi, even in those heels she wore, but her presence commanded other’s attention. Tsunade was legendary in the magical world as one of the greatest medical witches in history. It was odd for someone of her magical specialty to head a counterterrorism unit, but the vacancy had to be filled from the last guy and there wasn’t anybody else with enough experience to do the job. 

“Chancellor Minato moved you to this division so you  _ wouldn’t _ have to kill as often.” Her tone was chastising, but gentle, similar to the way a mother would scold her child. 

Kakashi shrugged. It wasn’t his fault the stealth castor had set so many damn traps. Realistically, Kakashi knew he could have evaded those traps with ease, but there was a comforting familiarity when it was just him up against a crowd of powerful opponents. He wasn’t risking the results of the mission anyhow. No one specified that he  _ had _ to be stealthy when they originally briefed him. So, technically he wasn’t in the wrong, but the look on Tsunade’s face conveyed a different story. 

“Chancellor Minato worries too much.” He spoke, his voice slightly muffled by the dark blue mask that covered the lower half of his face. Finding the look that Tsunade was giving him too personal for comfort, Kakashi tore his gaze away and fixed it elsewhere, trying to focus on something,  _ anything _ else. His blind eye, the one with the scar running almost vertically through it, habitually tried to study the layout of the office, but all it could see was a dim sort of impenetrable darkness. 

“You really are something else, you know that?” Tsunade pursed her lips, but then turned away, her blonde hair, styled in two low resting pony tails, whipped him across the face as she moved. “So, was there anything of note you noticed about the weapons the Horned Brotherhood had in stock?” 

Kakashi flinched away from the assailing hair and quickly ushered out, “They were mostly just standard issue magic weapons. However, they didn’t originate from Bauen. If I had to guess by the materials and design, they were made in Wynsor.” 

“Hmm,” Tsunade hummed, seating herself in her lavish chair once more, “That is interesting. Wynsor wouldn’t be my first place to buy illegal weapons from. It’s on the opposite side of the world.” 

“Their weapons are still the most reliable and advanced.” Kakashi interjected, “Even the criminals of Wynsor can craft up a magical weapon strong enough to blow up an entire neighborhood with ease.” 

Tsunade frowned, her legs crossing as she glared out the floor to ceiling windows behind her. Beyond the office of the Director lay the grand City of Konoha. It was considered the second capital of Baeun, boasting the second largest population and the headquarters of several different military and security divisions. Not only this, but Konoha City was also home to one of the Five prestigious Magical Academies in all of the Great Nations. Castors from all over the world migrated to Konoha for even the smallest chance of being accepted into the Konoha Academy of Advanced Magical Studies. Even Tsunade, the greatest medical witch of her generation, studied at the school at one time in her remarkable career. 

“I will assign Special Agent Yamato to look further into the supply line of these weapons. The sooner we can find out how these weapons came to be in Konoha, the faster my mind will be put at ease. I want you to get with him after you rest to give him an in-depth debriefing of everything you saw.” 

Kakashi nodded and let her continue, “Chancellor Minato also sent in a mission request specifically for you.” She grabbed said mission request, which was secured in an opaque folder with a bland designation of ‘Black Dog’ on the front. “He just can’t seem to let me handle this Director business on my own yet.” 

Kakashi thought Minato might never stop. He was director of the CTU for nearly two years, and at one point, Kakashi’s team leader and teacher. The only life Minato knew was the same as Kakashi: covert operations, blood, assassinations, and criminals, yet while Minato and Kakashi shared much of their experiences and memories together, Minato still maintained a cheerful demeanor. He was kind, too kind for this line of work, but he was also one of the most terrifying soldiers Kakashi ever met. When Minato was appointed Chancellor of Baeun a year ago, Kakashi thought that would be the last he ever heard from his old teacher. 

He was wrong, obviously. 

“And as always, you’re still his favorite pupil.” Tsunade handed the folder over. Kakashi took it reluctantly. 

“I’m his  _ only _ pupil.” He saw fit to remind the director. At one time in Kakashi’s history there were two others both the same age as himself, but that was years ago and now Kakashi was the only one left. Sometimes he liked to remind himself as a fitting punishment for his past failures. 

Tsunade sighed, “When are you going to accept the fact that Minato cares deeply for you?” The blonde woman shook her head, “Sometimes I think  _ I _ punish myself too much, and then I meet the likes of you and suddenly feel like a saint.” 

Kakashi stared at the folder in his hands and noticed there was a small, hand drawn smiley face next to his code name, courtesy of the chancellor. 

“Is that all?” He asked, ready to leave and not wanting to be here in the first place. 

Tsunade glared. She never took well to certain tones of voices, and Kakashi usually rubbed her all the wrong ways. Maybe it was because he always sounded bored, or like he couldn’t be bothered enough to care, but really he  _ couldn’t _ . If Kakashi could spend his days bathing and reading his stash of adult graphic novels, then he’d be content. 

“Yeah, fine. I’m too busy to keep humoring you anyway.” She waved her hand at him, a clear dismissal, and Kakashi gave his customary bow before leaving. Eisha bid him farewell on his way out. He didn’t like her more than Shizune, who was Tsunade’s main assistant, but Shizune was drafted to work at a medical hospital and wouldn’t be returning for the foreseeable future. 

The walk back to his quarters was longer than his walk to HQ. He could’ve gotten there in an instant if he wanted to, but the weather was nice and cool, and the beginnings of an autumn breeze was creeping through Konoha and chasing away the previous summertime heat. Above him, tree leaves whistled in the wind, while distant chatter from agents on the compound provided a soothing background noise. Maybe he’d take a nap after his bath. The weather was certainly optimal for Kakashi to hide himself away in a tree and snooze until late in the afternoon. The thought was tempting, but the weighted feel of the folder in his hands reminded Kakashi that he had another mission to do. 

If it was a mission from Minato personally, it probably wasn’t as simple as infiltrating a warehouse and taking a peek at the weapons in there. Although Minato still stuck his hands in the affairs of the counter-terrorism unit, he only began to truly meddle when something was of grave concern to him. Kakashi couldn’t remember a time when he received a mission from Minato and wasn’t gone for months on end. It didn’t help that Minato only trusted him to get the job done. To others, it might have been flattering, but to Kakashi it was annoying. Sometimes, he just wished his old teacher would just leave him to wallow by himself, but other times he was thankful for the distractions Minato constantly gave to him. 

Once he entered his living quarters, Kakashi beelined for the bathroom, haphazardly discarding his blood drenched clothes as he went. The bath he took felt better than he imagined it would. He sighed out heavily as he lowered his body into the steaming warmth of the tub and felt all the tension and aches in his muscles abandon him temporarily. He’d been careful in the shower before to scrub every splat of blood from his body until his skin turned pink and burned raw. Now, the bath water stung just a bit, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of his muscles easing under the ministrations of the steam. 

He was in the bath for several minutes before he decided it was time to read through the mission Minato gave him. The folder was sitting on the edge of the bath, continually drawing Kakashi’s attention and curiosity until he finally gave in. 

When he removed the pages of the report, they were expectantly blank. Minato never sent anything without placing a concealing spell on it first. Not many could decipher those spells, but Kakashi had been there when Minato first created them, and as easy as he could breathe, he let his fingers dance across the blank pages until words began to appear in the form of sentences. 

_ Hello Kakashi _ , it began in the familiar scrawl of the chancellor,  _ Or should I call you the Black Dog when writing official documents? You know I’ve never liked that name for you.  _ It’s true. Minato hated it when everyone began calling Kakashi by his alias, because he said it dehumanized Kakashi. Kakashi never understood what the big deal was. It was just his military name. So what if people forgot who he was underneath it?  _ Anyway, how are you? Are you eating well? Naruto never eats like he should. That boy only wants ramen, ramen, and more ramen. You’d think an infant might get sick of noodles, but apparently not. Oh well I’m not surprised. He is my son after all, and your godson. I just thought I should throw that in there so you remember to visit us sometimes. You never visit, and at this rate Naruto won’t know who his uncle Kakashi is. You should really come see him. He’s growing so fast. _ Despite himself, a sad smile crept its way onto Kakashi’s lips as he read about the small, yellow haired child that was his godson. He’d been more than surprise, and just a tad bit angry, when Minato told him the news. Kakashi wasn’t godfather material. One, he was far too young, and two, he didn’t know how to talk with children. Children were one of the few things in this world Kakashi didn’t understand, and he had no desire to change that. Minato didn’t care. He liked to think he knew what was best for Kakashi and promptly shoved a small bundle of Naruto in his arms the day after the kid was born. 

Kushina, Minato’s wife, still had that photo pinned to their refrigerator.  _ Anyway, I do have a mission for you, and it’s a bit...unusual. I chose you not only because you’re my favorite, but you’re the perfect age to pull this mission off.  _ So it must be an undercover mission. Kakashi didn’t mind those so much. He was fairly good at playing to the character he was chosen to be, and his disguises were second to none.  _ I’ve received some troubling news from the other nations about a foreign organization that’s been kidnapping young castors from magical schools. Not much is known about it, but I doubt the kidnappings will stop at Baeun’s borders from the go of things. Intelligence I received from Ibiki indicates Konoha Academy is the most probable target for these kidnappings. So far, all the students kidnapped have only one thing in common: they’re S-ranked wizards and they’ve only attended the best schools. As you know, Konoha Academy boasts quite a large number of S-ranked students. Your job is to attend as one of the students. Our first priority is to prevent any abductions from occurring. The other nations speculate that the students kidnapped are probably being drained of their magical ability, and if so, then this operation is of the utmost importance. Nothing ever good comes from magical withdrawal.  _ Magical Withdrawal was a widely acknowledged term for the draining of another person’s magic. It’s an outlawed practice, but criminals across the world were constantly seeking out new and improved ways to steal other people’s magic.  _ Ibiki has a more detailed report attached to this one. We’ve decided to enroll you under your true name, only because your Hatake name will carry weight and appeal if the criminals are as well informed and organized as I believe them to be. It wasn’t my first choice, but Ibiki figured that if you’re of interest for Magical Withdrawal, it’ll make your job easier. I hope that the situation will remain as a simple prevention and report, but you’re a capable wizard and I know you’ll be alright _ . 

Kakashi frowned at the news that he would be maintaining his true name. Although his identity as a member of the CTU (counter terrorism unit) was kept under the most heavily sealed files, it still made him wary. Though, he couldn’t fault Minato’s thought process. The Hatake name, although originating from a small clan, became notorious after the Second Great War, especially amongst criminals and dissenters. If someone were targeting powerful castors for Magical Withdrawal, his clan name would certainly capture their attention. Ibiki, the thorough man that he was, probably had an entire fake history attached to Kakashi’s name for anyone who would be curious enough to snoop. He shouldn’t be worried, but Kakashi hadn’t been  _ just _ Kakashi Hatake since he was five years old. 

_ There is no one that I trust more than you to complete this mission.  _ Reading those words, Kakashi could practically feel how sincere Minato was when he wrote that.  _ PS-Don’t forget to visit, please! _ That was the end of Minato’s portion. The rest of the report were all of Ibiki’s attachments. There was a brief blurb of the fake history created for him, as well as the reason he was joining the Academy so late. There were other tidbits as well, such as names of suspects connected to the abductions in other countries as well as possible organizations behind the attacks. Kakashi read through the report thoroughly, and couldn’t help but thank Ibiki for being so incredibly detailed. Minato wasn’t known for giving the best briefings. He had a forgetful mind and tended to leave out important facts that became apparent only as one was halfway through the mission. Kushina thought the trait was endearing, but she also hadn’t been stuck in acidic goo because Minato forgot to tell him about his enemy’s Giant pet slug. 

Slipping the papers back into their respective folder, Kakashi decided it was time to end his bath and turn in for the day. The mission uptake for the CTU was never ending. Usually, Kakashi only had one or two days at HQ before he was assigned another mission. It didn’t help that they were low on manpower. Not many were qualified to join the CTU, and those who were qualified, rarely got accepted. Not only were years of prior experience required, but unless one was referred, no one usually got in. Kakashi couldn’t remember a time where they actively recruited for new additions to the team. 

The CTU was a relatively obscure division of the overall military and security sector of the government, and Tsunade, as well as Minato, wanted to keep it that way. Kakashi could only think of 20 members he actually knew were attached to the CTU, and most of them were prior agents he worked with before his CTU days. Yamato, or otherwise known by Kakashi as Tenzou, was someone Kakashi knew from his days in ANBU, a Spec Ops unit that specialized in assassinations. Tenzou followed Kakashi to the CTU after Kakashi’s unexpected transfer, and after he spent days harassing Minato to let him join. Meanwhile, Kakashi had spent  _ his _ days trying to convince Minato to let him go  _ back _ . 

Wrapping a towel around his waist, Kakashi stepped towards the mirror in his private bathroom. The CTU accommodation quarters were certainly better than the ones he had in ANBU. Back then, there was no sense of privacy amongst the members. You lived, bathed, ate, and slept all in the same room. It was more of a precaution rather than for team building purposes. ANBU members, although their identities were kept sealed away, were often targeted by vengeful friends and family members of those they assassinated. It was safer to remain with the core of ANBU, rather than tucked away in your own private quarters where someone could kill you in your sleep and no one would ever know. 

After joining the CTU, Kakashi didn’t mind the change of his living situation. He had grown used to his ANBU members being constantly around him, but the relative peace granted to him with the privacy of his own apartment was something he deeply valued. 

At least no one was here to listen to the nightmares anymore. 

Wiping the fog from his mirror, Kakashi took a moment to check for any injuries he might have missed after his fight. Aside from the small scratches and bruises, he was relatively injury free. Satisfied, Kakashi lazily brushed through the messy locks of his silver hair, almost giving up when he encountered relentless tangles and knots. He really should get it cut. His hair was growing past the bottom of his ears towards the front, and scraped along his collarbone to the back. It was all choppy and uneven, courtesy of Kakashi doing his own hairstyling, but despite its messy appearance, he was often told that his hair color was something unique and quite beautiful. Tsunade said he looked like an old man with grey hair like this, but Minato would always smile and say Kakashi’s hair looked like moonlight reflecting off the Astia Sea. 

Frowning, Kakashi gave up on taming his unruly hair and proceeded to examine other parts of his features that may need attending. When Shizune used to work here, she would pester Kakashi to let her ‘clean-up’ his eyebrows, and he was often too tired to fight her about it. Tsunade had taken over that duty once Shizune left, but she was far less caring and a whole lot more mean about it. With his fingers, Kakashi poked and stretched at his brows, frowning in consideration as his fingers danced over a familiar wound. The scar that covered his left eye was still as red and aggravated as ever. It didn’t fester like when he first received the injury, but the skin along the slash was still pink and rigid, like he got the wound months ago instead of years. Kakashi wasn’t as affected as Minato when he was told he would never regain his vision in his left eye. Minato had been devastated, apologizing profusely. He even took a page out of Kakashi’s book and blamed himself for not being there to protect his student. To Kakashi, the loss of his eye hadn’t meant nearly as much as the other great loss he suffered. In fact, Kakashi convinced himself it was punishment for failing so miserably. 

Shaking his head at his thoughts, Kakashi dragged his shadow grey eyes from the mirror and stepped into his bedroom. The room itself was fairly large, as it incorporated both a small kitchen and living area all in one space. Kakashi didn’t cook, and he hardly had guests over enough to use his living room sofa. The only lived-in part of his accommodations were his bed, meticulously made and devoid of wrinkles. While other members of the CTU decorated their rooms (despite hardly spending time there) the only decoration Kakashi had was Mr. Ukki sitting by the windowsill. He was a plant gifted to him by both Minato and Kushina, and although he wasn’t home enough to water the damn thing, it was still stubborn enough to live. He had half a feeling that Tsunade snuck in here from time to time to take care of the plant, but he hadn’t openly accused her of it.

He wasn’t willing to incur her wrath by inferring that she was nicer than she seemed. 

It was a long day. That was his only thought as he sat on the edge of his bed. The bedsheets were a dark grey, as was most of the furniture in his apartment, but they were soft and oh so welcoming. He couldn’t remember when he last slept. It could’ve been yesterday or maybe several days before. He lost track of things like these on missions. He slept when necessary, but hardly ever indulged himself unless he was back at HQ. 

Sighing, Kakashi leaned back into the soft sheets, breathing deeply as he shut both of his eyes. 

It was a long day, but it felt good to be home. 


	3. Chapter Two: The Mission Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission begins. Welcome to Konoha Academy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello good friends here's another update! Again don't expect too much out of this I'm honestly just trying my hand out with new ideas and such! Also, just a reminder; the five core nations are: Egalis, Baeun, Wynsor, Acaron, and Ideus. I can't remember if I ever explicitly state this, but Kakashi is twenty and qualifies as a sixth year. Students can graduate from the academy as fourth years (when they're 18/19) or seventh years (21/22). Generally, the sixth years are 20/21). Think of the magical academies like a specialized school. If you have any questions or need clarification on some things please let me know! I might make a reference page here soon as the world building increases. Also, more about Kakashi's abilities to sense magic will gradually be explained, just know that his eyes are kind of special (or eye, rather. yikes.) ;)

**_Chapter Two: The Mission Begins_ **

Per the timeline Ibiki so kindly printed off for him, Kakashi’s mission was to begin the day after tomorrow. First, he was to go to Konoha Academy and introduce himself to his counselors, then purchase all the materials he would need for his courses (the money needed would be transferred to a proxy bank account). The day after that, Kakashi was to attend orientation for all new students and then a second orientation for  _ all _ incoming and returning students. Then finally, on the third day, he would attend his first class at the Konoha Academy for Advanced Magical Studies. Ibiki took the initiative to print off his course schedule along with a few brochures that would familiarize Kakashi with the activities and programs offered at Konoha Academy. There was quite a bit of information to go through, but Kakashi wasn’t known as a genius of his generation for nothing. He absorbed all the information quickly and took to studying the names of important figures at Konoha Academy, whether they be faculty members or just well known students. 

The Headmaster of Konoha was Hiruzen Sarutobi. Previously, Sarutobi was the 7th Chancellor of Baeun before appointing Minato as his successor. Sarutobi was a stern and secretive man, and well known for his seemingly endless knowledge of magic. In his youth, Sarutobi was known as the  _ Professor _ due to the sheer amount of knowledge he acquired about magic. A note in the corner of Sarutobi’s profile indicated that the Headmaster was aware of Kakashi’s purpose for attending the academy, which could prove beneficial to the CTU agent. 

The assistant headmaster was a wizard by the name Moretti Jero. There wasn’t much information on the man save for a relatively bland background and a picture depicting the man’s aging face and grey hair. Ibiki’s notes on the outline of Jero’s profile noted that he was ex-military and practiced spatial manipulation magic. Nothing of interest particularly stood out to Kakashi, so he flipped the page to examine the next profile. 

This time, he was greeted with a middle aged feminine face accompanied by pin straight dark hair and even darker eyes. The name scrawled at the top read Kirella Dormanio. Ibiki wrote that she was in charge of disciplinary action at the Academy, and was known for being quite witchy. If Ibiki’s chicken scratch could be deciphered from the margins, this woman was a no nonsense, stone cold witch with the ability to summon spirits from beyond the vale to do her bidding. It was an extremely rare sort of magic, and a cousin to the forbidden practice of necromancy. Ibiki must’ve had a few sour interactions with this woman, because the rest of the page detailed her foul demeanor and awful personality. 

The rest of the other faces were less notable, but still important in some sense or another. There were a few students Ibiki drew a little red star next to, to identify them as either s-ranked, influential, or belonging to a particularly noble clan. These were the possible targets Kakashi was to keep an eye on. Reading their biographies, Kakashi couldn’t help but frown. Most of them were born to powerful clans, and raised since birth to be a top castor. They’ve only experienced the highest of education, and probably thought themselves above everyone else. It would be annoying having to surround himself with people like that, and Minato might be just a little bit cruel making him do this, but to endure was the way of a combat wizard and he would not be thrown off of his mission by a couple of snot nosed brats. 

A knock to his door interrupted Kakashi’s studying. There were only three people who ever bothered to visit Kakashi in his room. One of them was currently in another city and the other was probably trying to lessen the piles of paperwork towering over her desk. 

“Tenzou,” he called out steadily, “You can come in.” 

Tenzou entered silently, closing the door behind him. Tenzou had a weird, stoic personality, save for his genuine respect for Kakashi. His eyes were the oddest part about him, as they weren’t expressive in the slightest. Whatever emotions Tenzou felt, they were usually tucked away behind an expert mask that was, frankly, better than Kakashi’s own. 

“Kakashi.” Tenzou bowed as if Kakashi were his superior. Back in the day, maybe, but in the CTU they were teammates. Equals. Kakashi tried to break Tenzou out of this habit, but the younger male refused to stop. 

Eventually, Kakashi thought it was too much work and quit trying all together. 

It still annoyed him though. 

“Am I interrupting?” 

Kakashi shook his head and motioned for Tenzou to take a seat somewhere, anywhere. If anything, Tenzou interrupted at just the exact moment Kakashi became bored of his studying. 

“I heard you have another mission.” 

“Yeah, Tsunade and Minato are putting me through the ringer. They’re running me like a dog.” Kakashi left a clear opportunity for Tenzou to capitalize on the very obvious pun that could be made about Kakashi’s statement. Instead of making a joke, however, the other stared blankly at Kakashi in that vaguely unnerving manner of his. 

Kakashi wasn’t as bothered by Tenzou’s blank stares as everyone else tended to be. Everyone who’s been in ANBU had their weird quirks, and some were quite weirder than others. Kakashi tried not to judge. After all, many had come to note his obsession with perverted books as being a trait he shouldn’t flaunt so publicly, but he figured on the long list of things Kakashi  _ could _ be doing, reading pornographic novels in a public space wasn’t all that bad. 

Those books were literary masterpieces, anyway. 

“Oh.” Tenzou frowned delicately. It wasn’t so much of a frown as it was a twitching grimace. Still, Kakashi could tell there was something troubling his comrade. 

Sighing, Kakashi sat up straighter in bed and tried to recall all of Minato’s teachings about how to be a good, supportive friend. 

Awkwardly, Kakashi addresses the other by asking, “Is there something wrong, Tenzou?” 

There was a long stretch of silence, and as the minutes ticked on, Kakashi considered taking a quick nap until Tenzou, otherwise known in the agency as Agent Yamato, was ready to talk. Luckily, or maybe unluckily as a nap sounded rather good, Tenzou began talking in a quiet, unsure voice. 

“Do you ever...do you ever miss it?” 

Kakashi was sure Tenzou was referring to their ANBU days. Days spent stalking their targets for weeks on end, infiltrating their homes while they slept, cutting their throats and watching them bleed on their pristine, white bed sheets. Did Kakashi miss it? Did Kakashi miss killing soldiers who were already down and probably wouldn’t get back up? Did he miss killing entire families for the sake of political stability? In a way, Kakashi supposed he did. 

“I miss the numbness.” He answered, staring at his hands as he did so. The actual acts of murders wasn’t what he cared for. No, what he craved was that lack of feeling, that complete and total detachment from his emotions and the world around him. He missed having only one thought, and one thought alone: the mission. In the CTU, there were times when Kakashi was alone with his thoughts and he would agonize over memories he wished more than anything to forget, but in the ANBU, there was never the time for such luxuries. Dwelling over one’s emotions, feeling the pain and the hurt, that would only get you killed in the end. The ANBU had to be robotic. They couldn’t be made to feel, and sometimes Kakashi missed that. 

It was a simpler time. 

The younger CTU agent seemed to understand without Kakashi having to explain. His eyes were staring at Kakashi, but they were unfocused. Tenzou rarely ever approached Kakashi about their days in ANBU. It was like some forbidden part of their history they weren’t supposed to talk about. 

Kakashi didn’t know why or when it began, but for some reason, Tenzou viewed Kakashi as a role model, someone to look up to and turn to when he felt confused or helpless. Kakashi could think of several people better suited to be the other’s role model, but despite pointing this out to the younger male, Tenzou always stuck himself to Kakashi’s side like glue. Kakashi wasn’t very emotional. He didn’t do  _ well _ with emotions, let alone talking to people. Sure, Kakashi knew  _ how _ to talk to people, he just didn’t like to, so whenever Tenzou approached him like this, it became painfully obvious just how unsuited for the position of mentor Kakashi was. 

But Tenzou...Kakashi could feel a sort of kin affinity for him. Maybe that was why he allowed Tenzou to linger in his room longer than necessary when Kakashi wanted nothing more than to be left alone.

“I sometimes think about going back.” Kakashi glanced up at the other man in mild surprise. Tenzou was still unfocused, still caught up in his thoughts. “But then I…” there was a slight tightening of the other’s hands as they rested on his knees. “But then I remember what you were like back then and I think, maybe this was a good decision after all.” 

Tenzou didn’t expand on his thought, so Kakashi has to press for answers, “What do you mean?” He almost doesn’t want to know. He almost wants to dismiss the younger’s mumblings as just another weird quirk, but he doesn’t. He sits there, on his bed, his eyes glaring at the brown haired male over the edge of his mask. 

Tenzou hesitated. It’s clear that he’s uncomfortable, but Kakashi’s been uncomfortable nearly this entire time, yet he still managed to reply out of respect and mood affection for his protege. 

“You were...back then...so cold.” The words are broken and small, almost inaudible, but Kakashi has senses that are far greater than an average human, so he hears Tenzou nonetheless. 

He doesn’t know what to say, because he still isn’t sure what Tenzou means. He was cold back then? Was he referring to Kakashi’s body temperature? Sure his blood didn't circulate like a normal person’s and there was a notable lack of blankets given to the ANBU. Surely Tenzou isn’t complaining about improper linen, and if he is than this whole conversation is just a giant waste of Kakashi’s time-

“Now, when I look at you, you don’t seem so cold.” 

“Are you talking about blankets?” Kakashi blurted out, because even though he prides himself on being able to read people, sometimes (all the time) what people mean to say goes completely over his head. 

“What?” Tenzou blinks, like he’s equally confused. “No…?” 

Kakashi turned his head away quickly, willing the embarrassed blush on his cheeks to go away. 

Tenzou sees this, and never missing a beat he says, “You’re blushing.” Tenzou’s words aren’t meant to tease but because he has no sense of social cues whatsoever, Kakashi still internally suffers. 

“I’m not.” Kakashi spits back, “I just feel sick.” 

“You’re sick?” Tenzou’s words are no longer devoid of emotion, instead they are full of worry as the ex-ANBU races over to tend to his senior officer, “I should report this to Director Tsunade immediately. Do you feel feverish Kakashi? What about your nose? Have you been sneezing often-” 

“Tenzou,  _ shut up _ .” Kakashi groaned, feeling a distinct loss of his dignity at the way the younger agent frets over him, “I’m fine it's just...allergies.” He lies lamely, ducking his head down to glare at his hands. He’s twenty years old, and sometimes he still feels like a child. The way Tenzou tries to take his temperature doesn’t help. 

It’s only after vehement convincing that Kakashi gets the other to agree  _ not _ to seek out Tsunade. With that crisis averted, Kakashi falls back into the softness of his pillows and internally squirms. 

“I’m sorry if I bothered you, Kakashi.” Tenzou speaks as if he’s a small child about to be punished, but his eyes are as blank and dark as ever. Looking at those eyes, Kakashi thinks he might understand how others are scared of Tenzou. The other may only be creeping along at the age of 17, but he’s a powerhouse that claims the third highest kill rate in ANBU, and he doesn’t seem to remorse over that fact at all. Kakashi boasts the highest. 

“It’s fine,” Kakashi has his arm thrown over his eyes, suddenly feeling far too exhausted to deal with anything. At times like these, retirement seems entirely too far away, and he wants to curse Minato for getting him into this mess.

“Would you like for me to leave?” 

“As long as you don’t go looking for Tsunade, be my guest.” Tenzou sits and stares for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Kakashi doesn’t say anything about it. The kid is weird, but so is Kakashi. 

“Have a good evening.” Tenzou stands, bows, and then departs quietly, leaving no evidence that he was ever in Kakashi’s room to begin with. Kakashi hears him leave, and even after the door clicks shut, he lays on the bed, arm covering his eyes for a few minutes longer. 

Despite himself, he can’t help but ponder Tenzou’s earlier statement.  _ “You were...back then...so cold _ .” Thinking about it now, the other probably meant his attitude and not the temperature of his body. Kakashi still feels ridiculous at his original interpretation of the conversation, but shakes those thoughts from his head before they can embarrass him further. Luckily, Minato wasn’t here, otherwise Kakashi wouldn’t ever live it down. Minato was cruel like that. 

_ “Now, when I look at you, you don’t seem so cold.” _ Kakashi frowned, and glared up at the ceiling. He could spend the next couple hours until he fell asleep pondering all the things Tenzou could mean, or he could spend that time reading his famed  _ Icha Icha _ novel. It’s a difficult decision to make, but when Kakashi rolls over with the familiar orange book grasped gently in his hands, he thinks he made the right one. 

“Hello, and welcome to the Konoha Academy for Advanced Magical Studies.” It’s too early in the morning to be greeted by a sickly sweet smile, Kakashi thinks. Yet, he has no choice but to endure as he writes his name down and waits in the small, but clean waiting area for his counselor to summon him. There are other wizards and witches in the room, each more different than the last. 

In the far back corner of the waiting area, a student who hails from Wynsor sits casually reading the morning newspaper. His hair is purple, his skin dark, and there’s a golden spell mark trailing down the left side of his face and neck before it disappears beneath the collar of his pressed, white dress shirt. To Kakashi’s right, a female from Egalia sits prettily in her chair. There are elaborate braids in her midnight dark hair, contrasting with the pristine paleness of her skin. Kakashi didn’t think it was possible to sit  _ delicately _ , but that is the only way he can describe the dainty manner in which she holds herself. Previously, their eyes briefly met when he moved to take a seat, and he was stunned by the vivid hues of blues that swirled like living spirits in her irises. Sitting in front of him, another woman, this one clearly from Acaron, glared at anything and everything, oddly reminding him of Tsunade’s unfriendly disposition. Her hair was the color of desert rock, and her skin was equally as dusty. When she fixed Kakashi with a withering glare, her golden eyes narrowed on him like murderous spears. Kakashi returned it with his own, disinterested one. She huffed, obviously annoyed, and glared at the Egalia girl instead.

He hadn’t seen so many castors from foreign lands all together in the same room since he attended a goodwill banquet with Minato six months ago. Konoha Academy’s reputation preceded it then, it truly was an institute of diverse learning and magic. 

“Rosara Linea?” A girl hailing from Norwala, one of the many lands between Baeun and Acaron, stood to greet the counselor who summoned her. Her hair was as red as a freshly bloomed rose petal, and extended far past her waist despite being tied high and tight in a ponytail. Kakashi studied the girl as she stood. She was young, probably a first year, so she couldn’t have been a day over 15. 

Generally, students attended Konoha Academy from the time that they were 15 until they reach the age of 22. At 22, they were considered specialized castors, and were usually placed into internship positions in their respective field of study. However, some students completed their studies as fourth years, when they turn 19, and left the Academy to start their lives. It is still an achievement to have attended Konoha Academy at all, but those who left after their fourth year usually couldn’t handle the stress of the specialized training that occurred during the fifth, sixth, and seventh years. Generally, students who come from distant lands join Konoha in the last three years of study, but there were some cases, like Ms. Rosara, who began their stay as first years. It’s considered the greatest honor in the lesser nations to be chosen to attend one of the prestigious academies. Kakashi felt a bit sad for the red headed girl. She was probably the jewel of her little town back home, but here, she was just another face in the sea of masses. 

“Kakashi Hatake?” A male voice boomed through the small waiting area. At the call of his name, Kakashi tucked his  _ Icha Icha Paradise _ into his back pocket and stood. Unlike the other students waiting, Kakashi wasn’t nearly as fancily dressed. It took hours for Tsunade to wrestle him into somewhat decent clothing, followed by a series of violent threats if he changed in the middle of the day. Currently, he was wearing wrinkled dress pants that mirrored the color of his eyes, along with an equally mused and wrinkled black dress shirt. His sleeves were lazily rolled up, his collar a bit crooked from the buttons being undone, and his constant fidgeting over the black tie Tsunade strangled him with resulted in it hanging loosely around his neck. Yeah, compared to the others he looked like a slob, but Tsunade had been pleased with her handiwork despite Ibiki saying it was okay for Kakashi to show up wearing casual clothes. 

_ I will  _ **_not_ ** _ have one of the CTU agents show up to Konoha Academy looking like they just rolled out of bed! It’s unacceptable, now come here you little twerp and let me comb your hair!  _ Kakashi shivered violently at the memory. 

“Are you Mr. Hatake?” The gruff voice that summoned him before belonged to a rather imposing man. Kakashi remembered him from the numerous profiles Ibiki gave to him. This was Omongo Jumorro, hailing from the esteemed Jumorro clan within Baeun. The Jumorro’s were notorious for their size and intimidating presence. They were built like bricks and towered over everyone around them. From what Kakashi could recall, the Jumorro specialized in fortifying and strength magic which...Kakashi couldn’t think of a more suitable form of magic for this beast of a man in front of him. 

“Yes, sir.” Kakashi greeted, trying his best to sound excited. Mr. Omongo didn’t seem too impressed as he simply grunted and motioned for Kakashi to follow. 

“You’re enrolling as a sixth year student, correct?” Mr. Omongo asked as he ushered Kakashi into an office that was far too small for the man inside of it. Kakashi seated himself, trying to keep from slouching, but old habits die hard and he found himself shoving his hands deep within his pockets as his shoulders fell in on themselves instinctively. 

“Yes, sir.” Omongo glowered thickly at the folder in his hands. Compared to the Jumorro, everything else looked comically small. Kakashi could only imagine the strain Mr. Omongo’s swivel chair was currently under. 

“Hmm,” the counselor hummed before nosing up his thick rimmed glasses. Like the rest of the faculty, Mr. Omongo was dressed in the green and grey colors that represented the Academy. While the lady at the front desk wore a busy, patterned dress with the school colors, Mr. Omongo simply contented himself with a deep green polo shirt and grey slacks. Kakashi absently wondered where the Jumorro shopped to find clothes their size. Were they specially ordered? Tailor made?

“We usually don’t receive enrollment requests after the fifth year.” Mr. Omongo set the folder down and glared at Kakashi suspiciously, “Why do you want to attend our school?” 

_ To possibly apprehend serial kidnappers that have attacked powerful s-ranked students around the world.  _

“I love studying magic.” He settled on, keeping it simple and keeping it vague. 

“Is that all?” Omongo pressed, his deep voice menacing and mean. “There’s no other reason?”

Kakashi shook his head no, “I just really, really love studying.” And maybe he was laying it on a bit thick, but Kakashi couldn’t help but enjoy the way the large man in front of him began muttering under his breath. 

“I swear, they let anyone in nowadays.” After their initial introduction, the counselor went on to describe the main rules and regulations of Konoha Academy. For fifth, sixth, and seventh years, living accommodations were provided off campus with a stipend for groceries and rent. However, students living off campus were expected to follow the designated curfew for weekdays as well as stay within a mileage radius for the weekends. Kakashi already knew all of this, Ibiki was especially thorough, but he pretended to listen and absorb the information with a keen interest. 

“And most importantly, there will be no unauthorized duels or fighting on or off campus. If you have an issue with another student, take it up with the disciplinary committee to have it resolved. As a student of Konoha, you are expected to maintain a certain level of decorum. You not only represent the best of Bauen, but also the best in the world. Is that understood?” 

Kakashi resisted the urge to render a military salute as he nodded yes. 

“Good. Orientations begin tomorrow morning, but for now I would purchase the required materials for your classes. The bookstore is open until 6 p.m. After that, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” 

Kakashi stood as Mr. Omongo did, and followed the other’s gesture to exit the office. Collecting the welcoming packet, Kakashi stepped out of the office prepared to bid the counselor a bored farewell. Yet as soon as he stepped through the threshold of the office, Kakashi felt his breath leave him as a flurry of green crashed into him with all the energy of a kid dosed up with liquid candy. 

Knocked off balance, Kakashi stumbled backwards with a whispered, “Oomph,” as the feeling of brutish muscle smashed into him with the force of a freight train. If he were anyone else, he might have been knocked out by the unsuspecting blow, but the CTU agent expertly regained his footing by stepping backwards to stabilize his wobbly legs. 

The air in his lungs came back to him with a gasp, and Kakashi instantly hissed at his assailant, “Watch where you’re going.” 

“Ah, sorry about that.” A deep voice apologetically responded. Scowling over at the idiot who bumped into him, Kakashi was met by bushy eyebrows and a wide, sincere smile. The man who nearly sent Kakashi flying didn’t seem at all perturbed by their clashing as he brushed invisible dust off the front of his bright green tracksuit. The smile he gave Kakashi was genuine and blinding in it’s brightness, as if light itself derived from those pearly white teeth. 

Kakashi huffed, feeling both annoyed and pained by the way the other blasted into him, “You nearly crushed every bone in my body.” The remark brimmed with his frustration as he leveled the careless wizard with a look full of menace. “You’re lucky you didn’t run into a novice.” 

A chuckle emanated from the other male, deep, rumbling, and strangely jovial, “But you look fine, and I’m fine, so we won’t dwell on what ifs!” His proclamation was as enthusiastic as his grin, as if he didn’t just highly inconvenience the silver haired wizard. 

Kakashi opened his mouth to give this fool a lecture on manners (he’s heard plenty from Tsunade and Minato combined), but as soon as his lips parted, the green-clad wizard’s expression morphed into one of panicked horror as he jumped to attention. 

“I wish I could stay longer to apologize properly, but I’m in a bit of a rush!” Before Kakashi could get even a word of his well planned lecture out, the nameless wizard zoomed by at a speed that fluttered Kakashi’s hair. In a momentary state of shock, the ex-ANBU was left staring after the wizard in wild disbelief. 

It was only after the guy rounded the corner in as big of a rush as he came crashing into Kakashi, that the CTU agent had to pause to remember the last time he’d ever bumped into  _ anyone _ . He racked his brain, trying to recall a time when he couldn’t sense someone’s magic coming from a mile away. No memory simmered to the surface, and not only did he stand in the corridor looking affronted, but now he was left a bit dumbfounded. Usually, Kakashi could sense even the smallest fluctuations of someone’s magic before they came within ten feet of him. Due to this, it was near impossible to take Kakashi by surprise like he had been. 

Realizing this, Kakashi studied the corner the man disappeared behind. He was half tempted to give chase, but Mr. Omongo was nudging him to get a move on from behind and Kakashi hardly thought taking off at a sprint at a random time like this would go over well with the rest of the faculty. 

So he shrugged off the occurrence, and tucked it into the recesses of his mind.

But still, the question as to why he couldn’t sense that wizard’s magic lingered as an afterthought, occasionally piquing Kakashi’s interests for the rest of the day. 


	4. Chapter Three: Orientation and Another Meeting With the Green Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orientations begin, and Kakashi's already doubting his endurance to complete this mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I do long chapters I'm sorry :) We'll begin picking up pace here in a bit.

**_Chapter Three: Orientation and Another Meeting with the Green Mystery_ **

The orientation for all incoming students was long and boring, as Kakashi expected it to be. He was only one of two newly enrolled sixth year students, and they were both ushered off to their own little section of the stadium. During the introduction ceremony, Kakashi lost all sense of interest and had boredly taken his book out, giggling to himself pervertedly when he read a particularly naughty line. 

The only other sixth year next to him, a kid with orange hair and equally fiery eyes watched with all the discipline and focus that Kakashi noticeably lacked. He was shorter than Kakashi, but he held himself as if the world were beneath him. He probably hailed from some famous clan or another, and probably thought he was the greatest thing since Jiraiya first published  _ Icha Icha Paradise,  _ but nothing in this world could ever be that great. 

“Are you even going to pay attention?” The student next to him hissed, obviously annoyed at Kakashi for being so blatantly disrespectful.

Casually, Kakashi peered over the edge of his novel, eyeballing the orange haired kid in what could only be described as a total lack of care. 

Orange eyes, the color of a settling sun on the horizon, narrowed in a clear sign of animosity towards the silver haired wizard. “The information is important. If you have any respect for the nation you represent, you should listen when the headmaster speaks.”

“Maa...everything is already included in our little booklets.” Kakashi waved the aforementioned booklet for good measure. “This is far more interesting.” He then motioned to Jiraiya’s book in his hands and grinned. 

“You’re disgusting.” The kid scoffed, turning his head away in a rather dramatic show of dismissal. 

Feigning interest in his book, Kakashi side-eyed the wizard next to him in mild interest. There were no obvious marks or emblems on the kids clothes or skin that designated which nation or clan he hailed from. The orange hair might be an indicator, but Kakashi couldn’t recall any clan he knew of with that obnoxious hair color. As Kakashi studied the kid, he could see the brimming fire magic lingering underneath the kid’s sunkissed skin. He could tell the old orange head was trying to suppress his magic, as so many his age were taught to do, but Kakashi was relatively adept at seeing past suppression to observing the underlying power beneath. From the way this kid’s magic glowed like a dormant tumult of flames and rage, it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to say he hailed from a fire dominated family. 

“I’m Kakashi Hatake,” Kakashi greeted with an extended hand, “Nice to meet you.” 

The orange haired kid glared at Kakashi for a long moment, but his need for propriety probably won out and he accepted Kakashi’s proffered gesture, “Falan Redcia.” 

Redcia...the name wasn’t familiar at all to Kakashi. So that meant he came from an obscure family. How interesting. Usually, it was only those who carried a prominent name that acted stuck up, but this kid, he had the noble brat act down to a tee. 

“So, Falan, where are you from?” 

“None of your business.” The kid snapped, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to listen.” 

On the stage centered in the middle of the stadium, Sarutobi was going on about the grand history of Konoha Academy and how it was important to forge strong and lasting relationships between people from all over the world. Minato gave similar spiels during his many Chancellor sponsored events, so it wasn’t anything Kakashi hadn’t heard before. 

Resuming his browsing of  _ Icha Icha _ , Kakashi was sure to observe other students in the stadium area. There were very few S-ranked wizards that he could tell, probably less than five including himself and the kid next to him. Most of the students were too young to be anything stronger than B-ranked, but their potential couldn’t be ignored. For Kakashi, it was easy to differentiate between the varying levels of wizards and witches all around him. It was a special ability passed down the Hatake family. His eyes, although average looking, had a particular sensitivity to magic that enabled him to see another’s inherent magical energy, and determine the types of magic they used. In order to escape his knowing eyes, someone needed a mastery over their magic concealment, which was incredibly hard to come by without extensive training.

Ironically, Kakashi thought back to the green suited idiot he bumped into yesterday morning at the counselor's office. At first glance, he didn’t seem like much, not that Kakashi really got a good look, but the fact that Kakashi couldn’t see even the smallest ounce of magic had him thoroughly intrigued. Either the guy was an extremely advanced S-ranked wizard, or he was a magicless dweeb. If it was the former, then Kakashi was going to have to keep an eye out for him, but if it was the latter, he could dismiss the guy from his thoughts and not have to spare him a secondary glance. 

When Sarutobi finished his long-winded speech, the head of the Disciplinary Committee, Kirella Dormanio, stepped up to the platform. Her very presence was commanding, and demanded that everyone pay attention to her. So naturally, Kakashi didn’t. She was a rather terrifying woman though. Kakashi would at least give her that and agree with Ibiki’s evaluation of her attitude and behavior. It seemed that the very air around her was cold and charged with spiritual energy, and Kakashi had no doubt that she was as terrifying in a fight as she was standing on a podium in front of thousands of students. 

“I am Dean Dormanio and am head of the disciplinary committee here at the Academy.” Jeez, even her voice sounded utterly diabolical. “I will not tolerate insubordinate behavior from any student who attends Konoha Academy. This pertains to behavior both on and off campus. So rest assured, if you believe that you will get away with nefarious shenanigans in this fine city, you are sadly mistaken.”

Nefarious shenanigans huh? Kakashi might want to steer clear of her. 

“There are three students that I select from each grade year that will be employed as members of the committee. They act on my behalf, and therefore have the authority to intervene in conflicts, as well as apprehend hooligans, as they see fit. They  _ will not _ be disrespected. If I receive word of a student refusing to obey an order given by one of my subordinates there will be  _ severe _ consequences.” 

This woman had to have been employed in the military. Either that, or she was just a complete shrew. 

“Members of my committee will be identified by a black armband worn on their right arm with the initials DC written in bold yellow. If you are caught wearing one of these armbands, and you are  _ not _ part of the committee, you will be suspended immediately with a recommendation of expulsion. Myself and Headmaster Sarutobi will act as the adjudicators for your case. Be warned, I am  _ not _ the lenient type.” 

Kakashi couldn’t help as he snorted to himself. He figured everyone in the stadium already knew the type of woman she was. There was no need for emphasis. 

“Applications for the Disciplinary Committee will be submitted by the end of day. There will be an extensive vetting process, as well as an interview conducted by senior committee members. If you would like to apply, applications will be disseminated after this orientation ends. We have only a limited number of spots, and if there are no spots available for the year you are applying for, then an application will not be given to you. That is all.” Without further adieu, Dean Dormanio stepped off the stage and fell to her position standing to the left of Headmaster Sarutobi. Kakashi watched as the headmaster leaned over to whisper something in her ear, smiling broadly, but the woman maintained her scowling expression and waited for the next speaker. 

Briefly, Kakashi wondered if the Dean knew why Kakashi was at the Academy. There were probably less than a handful of faculty who knew, and it was very possible that Sarutobi was the only one. However, it would be nice to have some leniency when operating on campus. He couldn’t be worried about investigating while also avoiding the disciplinary committee from hell. 

He’d make a note to ask Ibiki about all those who were informed, and request special permissions to notify Dean Dormanio of his status. 

It was another long and boring hour before the orientation came to an end. There was supposed to be a two hour break between now and the final orientation, so Kakashi took the time to familiarize himself with the terrain of the campus. It was a ridiculously large school, with special buildings dedicated to different research and combat disciplines. By far, the largest cluster of buildings were the ones dedicated to Medical Magical Studies, since Konoha Academy was renowned for its prestigious medical program. They even boasted their own hospital on campus, the same hospital Shizune was supposed to be assisting in. Tsunade probably informed Shizune about Kakashi’s mission and told her to act as if Kakashi was a stranger if their paths managed to cross. Kakashi thought he wouldn’t mind seeing a friendly face, but the risk of acting as if they knew each other was too great. It was bad enough that there were already two CTU agents on campus, so Kakashi wasn’t going to make an effort flaunting that fact. 

Although Konoha Academy was continuously renovated and upgraded over the years, much of the architecture still resembled the ancient buildings that first populated the great lands. There were towering stone structures with detailed sculptures and magical symbols etched into the many pillars and archways that marked the oldest of Konoha’s buildings. The stone was an aged grey, having seen better years, but continuous repair and maintenance kept the buildings free from cracks and as reliable as the day they were first built. The newer additions to the campus had a more modern feel, with predominantly glass buildings, implementations of elevators, and the incorporation of the newest magical technologies and systems. Though society still relied heavily on magic to perform most duties and tasks, there was a recent rise of mixing technology with magic, and using it as a means to perform daily activities. The nation of Wynsor was best known for technological development, as well as development in magical engineering. Compared to Wynsor, the rest of the world was lagging in the art of mixing man and machine. 

Kakashi didn’t mind. There was something nice about still feeling a connection to the ancient ways of the past. This world was evolving entirely too fast for him, and the nice reminders of simpler times did wonders to improve his mood most days. 

As expected from a prestigious institute, the dorms for the younger years to stay in were kept well maintained and impossibly clean. There were some students who were still settling in, their friends and families helping to move their belongings inside. Boxes were piled high outside the dormitories. Some more advanced students used magic to do most of the work, while the first and second years struggled to carry their belongings upstairs. 

When Kakashi was first discovered as a child laying over his father’s dead corpse, he wasn’t placed into a foster home like most would believe. No, whoever found him saw the potential and magic brimming in the small five year old Kakashi, and immediately enrolled him into a military academy. He wasn’t the only child orphaned by the second Great War to receive this treatment. There were hundreds just like him, scattered across the land. They were all so alone and afraid, so it was entirely too easy for governments to pluck these children from society and groom them to be the perfect soldier. 

Kakashi never knew what it was like to attend a local school where there was recess, clubs, and sports to join. He didn’t know what it was like to get accepted into a top tier magic school and have his entire family overjoyed at the news. No, for all of his childhood, Kakashi was training to conduct covert missions in support of expanding Baeun’s influence and protecting its borders. The sight of all these kids now, with their smiling fathers and teary eyed mothers, struck something deep and painful within Kakashi that he hadn’t felt since he was 5 years old. Frowning, the CTU agent turned away and kept walking. 

“Woah watch out!” Kakashi didn’t have much of a warning before someone came barreling into him from behind like an unstoppable freight train. Kakashi stumbled, regained his balance, and gracefully removed himself from the bustling body that tried to run him over in a matter of an instant. Said person must have tripped over air as soon as Kakashi moved, because flailing limbs preceded the ensuing face-plant into cement seconds after the initial warning. Boxes that were held in the hands of Kakashi’s assailant scattered across the landscape in a cartoonish manner while cheeks and teeth skidded across grey pavement. Kakashi, now standing a safe distance away, surveyed the scene with raised eyebrows as the man who nearly took him out lay immobile on his stomach with his nose pressed into the ground. 

“Ow, that hurt.” 

Kakashi recognized the bright green jumpsuit as the same guy who assaulted him yesterday. He was sprawled out in a dramatic position, with his hand rubbing the red mark left over on his forehead from having it crack against the pavement. 

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Came the muffled question. 

It took the CTU agent a moment to realize that the bumbling fool was addressing him. Kakashi startled, tearing his eyes away from a pair of ghastly orange leg warmers wrapped snugly around green-clad calves in favor of meeting a pair of dark, black eyes narrowed in concern. At some point between Kakashi watching the man stumble into the earth until now, the wizard from yesterday managed to rise to his feet and began brushing off dust and pebbles from his clothes. The CTU agent blinked in surprise, unable to tell if the guy moved faster than Kakashi could process or if he‘d been staring at those leg warmers longer than he thought. 

“Hello,” the stranger waved his hand in front of Kakashi’s face, “Are you okay, sir?”

Instinctively, Kakashi’s hand dashed forward to catch the other by his wrist, effectively halting his sporadic movements. “I’m fine,” Kakashi said before releasing the student, “But you should really watch where you're going.” 

A chuckle similar to the one Kakashi heard yesterday rolled out from between the other’s lips, “Ah yeah, that’s my bad.” The words were apologetic, but still jovial, “I just get so invigorated by the idea of hard work, I feel the need to run everywhere I go, but that’s just the power of youth, isn’t it?” The guy grinned at Kakashi as if he expected an honest response from the silver haired wizard. 

Unable to come up with a quality reply (because he was so busy staring at those shiny teeth), Kakashi stammered a hesitant, “Uh...sure.” 

Kakashi didn’t know what to make of the person in front of him. He was certainly...someone you wouldn’t see often on the streets. He was dressed in the same green jumpsuit as yesterday, the color resembling that of newly blossomed leaves in the springtime. There was a muted grey sleeveless jacket thrown over his torso, and Kakashi really wasn’t one to judge someone else’s fashion sense, but it really didn’t compliment the forbidden orange leg warmers. 

Along with the guy’s strange attire, his inky black hair was trimmed neatly to resemble a bowl cut, with the fringe of his bangs ending just above the beginning of his impressive eyebrows. They were thick, but well maintained, and when the man spoke they wiggled with expression. Kakashi didn’t know what part he should focus on more: the legwarmers, the out of date haircut, or the eyebrows. He wasn’t the  _ oddest _ looking fella Kakashi ever met, but he was certainly in the top ten. 

“Welcome to Konoha Academy by the way. I can tell you’re new here.” The guy’s smile was stunningly white and his teeth enviously straight. On any other day, Kakashi might have found the enthusiastic grin a bit charming for how genuine it appeared to be, but his mood was considerably dampened after almost being run over. Again. 

Said smiling man continued to speak, despite Kakashi’s lack of participation in the conversation, “I’m Gai Might, a sixth year.” 

_ Might _ …the surname certainly sounded familiar, like Kakashi had heard the name before, but he couldn’t place where. 

“A sixth year, huh?” Kakashi shook the thick, calloused hand offered to him. “Same. I’m Kakashi Hatake.” 

As Gai’s hand practically engulfed Kakashi’s own, the other wizard shook heartily, nearly yanking the CTU agent’s arm out of socket. “Kakashi…” Gai mulled his name over out loud, like he was trying to see how it would feel saying it. “I like it!” 

At the bold claim, Kakashi withdrew his hand and found himself awkwardly saying, “Uh...thanks, I guess.” Kakashi felt incredibly out-of-place standing in front of this wizard who was  _ clearly _ drinking too many energy potions in the morning. 

Desperately seeking a way to end this interaction, Kakashi’s eyes flickered from the grinning weirdo to their surrounding area. 

As his eyes fixed on the disaster from their almost-crabs, Kakashi suggested with a bored tone, “You should probably pick up your stuff.” 

Gai was standing there staring at Kakashi in a way that Kakashi couldn’t quite identify, but once the CTU Agent motioned towards the boxes still scattered across the ground, Gai let out a small yelp of panic. 

“You’re right!” He gasped, suddenly scrambling to pick up the tower of boxes he dropped, “These are for the first years. They never really know where to put their things so I always volunteer to help them. It sets a good example for the other students to follow. After all, it’s good to establish bonds that can later be nurtured into beautiful friendships, don’t you think?” 

Kakashi felt like he was at a total loss at what to do, let alone say. He should just dismiss himself and continue scoping out the campus, but hadn’t Kakashi also wanted to meet this green clad mystery and get a better feel of his magic? Right now would be the perfect opportunity, but all Kakashi could do was stare as Gai chattered on and on and  _ on _ . Jeez, he sure liked to talk a lot. 

“Anyway,” Gai spun around to face Kakashi again, but this time his face was obscured by an impressive amount of boxes he had stacked on top of each other, “It was nice to meet you Kakashi. Maybe we’ll have the same classes.” 

_ Hopefully not, _ Kakashi thought to himself, already feeling overwhelmed. 

Gai didn’t really wait for Kakashi to respond before he bounded off in the direction he was originally heading. Kakashi watched him go and realized he still couldn’t see or feel even the smallest hints of magic emanating from Gai. It was unnerving, to say to least. Kakashi didn’t think Konoha admitted magicless wizards into their school, and that meant that the green clad bundle of enthusiasm he just met, must have been a master at manipulating his magical energy. Even though it was a logical conclusion, Kakashi couldn't help but have some doubts on the matter.

Needless to say, Gai Might was an enigma, and one Kakashi didn’t plan on meeting enough in order to figure out. 

The second orientation Kakashi attended went by a lot faster than the first, mostly because it’s purpose was to introduce the new student council as well as hand out applications for extracurricular activities. This time, the stadium was crammed to its maximum with students of all year levels. It was definitely a better venue for Kakashi to scope out some of the students Ibiki suggested he monitor. 

Despite the stadium occupancy nearly doubling for this orientation, there were still a rather small number of S-ranked castors in the crowd. That wasn’t entirely surprising. To be considered an S-Ranked castor before fully graduating the Academy was a feat difficult to achieve. Still there were enough potential targets for abduction that Kakashi knew he would have his work cut out for him. There were at least twenty wizards across the 5th-7th years, all hailing from different clans, families, and nations. Their power levels ranged, but only slightly. To be considered an S-ranked, one had to meet a certain level of magical capability, as well as a highly advanced mastery of several types of magical applications and practices. 

Most S-ranked wizards manipulated two forms of magic that were complementary to each other. Usually, for magic to be complementary, they had to be related in some way. For example, an S-ranked castor’s primary magic may be fire, but their secondary could be weapons crafting due to the requirement of a heat element when smithing. For castors with an earth based magic, their complementary magic could involve gravity or plant magic. In some cases, complementary magic could even be two elements that just meshed better together, like wind and fire, and earth and water. There was a complex diagram somewhere in the world detailing which magics were compatible with one another and which ones weren’t. Kakashi was forced to study it during his trainee days at the Stoneworth Military Academy, because it was important to know what accompanying magics an enemy might have based on their primary magic. 

However, there were some cases where a castor possessed two opposing magics. Sometimes, the secondary magic was obtained by Magical Withdrawal and others were simply unfortunate enough to be born that way. Oftentimes, when someone wielded two or more magics that didn’t complement each other, they were left psychologically and spiritually unbalanced. The constant push and pull between two magics would be enough to drive anyone insane. Harmony with oneself and their magic was considered a pillar tenet in the foundation of magical learning, and having contradictory magic made it difficult for castors to master their primary magic, let alone both. 

“Now, to introduce a new club being implemented this year,” Mrs. Noaba Noellie, the presiding faculty member over all extracurricular activities, spoke softly into the microphone. She was a small, dainty witch with chestnut brown hair and a kind face. Ibiki noted in her profile that she was known for her psychological magic, and more specifically, being able to lull someone into a sense of calm serenity with her voice alone. 

“I had a student approach me at the end of last semester with a new idea for a club. It’s a sponsorship program where students who have attended Konoha Academy before mentor those who have newly transferred here. The idea is to welcome incoming students, no matter their year level, and provide a safe, warm environment for everyone here.”

Kakashi couldn’t help but roll his eyes. If only they knew who he was and why he was here. Talk about a safe and welcoming environment as he’s conducting an investigation into possible abduction cases. 

“Although the student who approached me about the club idea is unable to serve as acting President, I have brought him to speak today to discuss further details about the program for those who wish to join. Please welcome Sixth Year Student Gai Might.” 

Across the stadium there was a half-hearted chorus of applause as Gai, still boasting his green suit, bounded up on the stage with all the vigor and energy he met Kakashi with. As Gai took to the microphone, there was a muffled ensemble of giggles and whispers that swiftly passed over the sixth year section. 

Kakashi didn’t understand what the whispers and giggles pertained to, until one kid sitting to Kakashi’s right told his friend rather boldly, “Oh great, not  _ that _ loser again!” 

The kid’s friend laughed in a belittling, condescending manner as he snickered, “I know right! It’s bad enough they let that fool stay at the Academy, but they’re listening to his ideas now? How long are they going to humor someone like him?” 

Kakashi ignored the rude muttering and turned his attention away from the students beside him in order to focus on Gai more intently. 

Expectantly, Gai was describing the duties and principles of his club with a passion that showed his genuine excitement over the idea of helping to bring a new club to fruition. He was smiling, posing, and making a grand show of hyping up the beauty of youthful bonds between castors from all over the world. Kakashi had to hand it to him, Gai was certainly eager about the entire idea, and while many students found his passions a bit odd and overwhelming, there were some (especially among the younger years) who saw his speech as inspiring. 

“You would think with his practical application skills, he would’ve been kicked out ages ago.” The kids to his right were still gossiping, rudely sneering as Gai finished his speech and gave a proper bow, “It’s a wonder he was ever admitted.” 

“He's about as lame as his father. War hero my ass. What kind of war hero doesn’t have magic? If you ask me, good riddance he’s dead. We don’t need wizards like that representing Baeun.” 

Suddenly, Kakashi felt his heart freeze within the confines of his chest as all other noise save for the gossiping idiots was drowned out by the sound of his sudden, internal rage. 

“The government probably felt bad and gave Gai a pity admission, which is a shame, because he definitely makes the rest of us look bad.”

Kakashi felt his fists tighten with the restraint to keep his mouth shut and his hands from pummeling these jackasses until they were bloody. There was a chord inside his heart that tensed as flashbacks of similar things being said about  _ his _ father assaulted him. 

_ Coward. Garbage. Useless.  _ It drove his dad mad being slandered the way he had, and was the reason Kakashi was alone to this very day. It was people like the ones to his  _ right _ that were the true scum of the world. 

“Shut your fucking mouths.” Kakashi hissed, effectively interrupting the conversation as he fixed his damning grey glare on the lowlifes next to him. “If you want to keep breathing, you’ll wisely stop talking.” 

“Oh?” The kid who originally started badmouthing Gai, a wizard with black hair and a smug look about him, crookedly quirked the corners of his lips to form a mocking smile. His buddy beside him, another wizard with ashy blonde hair, followed suit. They probably thought themselves intimidating, but they were nothing but maggots beneath Kakashi’s feet. 

“And what are you going to do about it, huh?” The smarmy dark haired bastard drawled in a nasally, obnoxious tone, “I didn’t know you were so  _ sensitive  _ about Gai.” 

“I don’t care that you’re talking about Might,” Kakashi felt the rage like it was a living, furious creature inside of him. It twisted and wrenched, gnawing at his fragile control until he felt that restraint become less and less. The more he sat here, the more beating these  _ infants _ sounded like a wonderful idea, “But you  _ will _ not disrespect those that gave their lives in the Great War or any fight that came after. Those who do are less than  _ scum _ .” 

He sneered the word with all the malice that he could muster, his eyes dangerous and threatening as he watched the boys appalled reactions. 

“What did you just say?”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” 

“You heard me.” Kakashi grinned viciously beneath the cover of his mask. There was a heat coiling inside of him, a dormant anger that bared its fangs like a rabid animal. He choked back the simmering rage, but the thought that it would be so easy, too easy to reach out and take the lives of these idiots plagued him. Or at the very least, he could maim them until they were permanently bed ridden. It would only serve them right for bad mouthing the honorable men and women who gave their lives in service of Baeun. 

_ Coward. Traitor. Failure _ .  _ You should just die _ . 

“Is there a problem here?” A sudden intrusion into the conversation startled Kakashi long enough that the pulsing fury constricting inside of him momentarily quelled. 

Snapping out of his narrow, anger induced focus, the silver haired wizard glanced towards another male student, probably a year older than himself, glaring down at them with an expectant look in his eyes. It was a member of the disciplinary committee, if the black band and bold yellow lettering were anything to go by. 

Kakashi frowned and turned his head away while the two students he’d previously been threatening instantly tried to paint him as the instigator. 

“He threatened us.” The black haired one said, trying to sound as innocent as possible, “We weren’t even doing anything wrong.” 

“Is that so?” The disciplinary team member turned his focus onto Kakashi, his dark blue eyes demanding for answers, but not outright accusing. 

Kakashi scoffed, finding this entire scenario suddenly beneath him, “Yeah. Sure. It’s my fault.” 

Blue eyes studied him carefully, probably trying to place a name to his face. Kakashi ignored it in favor of looking elsewhere, taking up his usual air of indifference. He didn’t have time for these childish games. He was supposed to be on a mission, not getting distracted by a couple of punks who didn’t know the difference between their heads and their assholes. 

“See? He even admitted to it.” This time, it was the ashy blonde one who spoke as he pointed a finger towards the CTU agent. Kakashi was half tempted to reach out and snap the damn thing in half. “These newcomers always think they’re so high and mighty, causing trouble and thinking they won’t be punished for it.” 

The blue eyed DC member looked as if he were trying not to roll his eyes, probably realizing that the two jackasses said something stupid and Kakashi was merely retaliating. Still, the guy did a pretty stand up job of not letting his thoughts show  _ too _ much on his face. 

“Just...keep to yourselves, and no talking during the rest of the orientation.” Without further adieu, the DC team member turned away to continue his patrolling around the stadium. Kakashi watched him go, only because it was infinitely more interesting than looking at the other two buffoons. 

The rest of the orientation went off without a hitch. Kakashi did some mild scoping of his charges, but doubted that anything could happen to them before school even started. From what the reports determined, a lot of the students were abducted around the same time frame from multiple locations, so whatever this operation was, it was pretty wide-scaled. That made his life considerably more difficult, but it wasn’t something he couldn’t handle. 

Once the students were dismissed, Kakashi casually filed out of the stadium. There were a couple of sixth year students who glanced his way, probably sizing up the new guy, but Kakashi hardly spared them a moment of his attention. Outside of the stadium hall, there were tables and tents set up advertising various clubs and extracurricular activities. The students manning those tables called out to the people passing by, trying to gather a greater number of participating students. The table for the disciplinary committee had a line about a mile long it seemed, with students of various backgrounds seeking to join the elite team of students. 

Kakashi kept walking, ignoring the calls hurled his way as he burrowed his nose into his book. Even with focusing on his novel, it was an easy task for Kakashi to dodge the growing swell of students. Magic beckoned to him from all different directions. Fire magic. Water magic. There were even some mind castors thrown into the mix, their magic pushing at the barriers of his mind instinctively. 

“Hey, I know you!” 

Kakashi kept walking. He knew that voice, and  _ no _ he wasn’t going to stop to humor anybody right now. 

“Hey, Kakashi!” A hand latched onto his shoulder. Years of training and being paranoid triggered the moment Kakashi felt those fingers dig into the fabric of his shirt. In a movement faster than most human eyes could register, Kakashi grabbed onto the hand, twisting it around so that he was free from its grip. He went to snap the wrist, out of instinct, but the person who touched him quickly countered his attempt by skillfully removing Kakashi’s grip. 

Turning around, Kakashi was met with a brilliantly smiling Gai. 

He scowled. 

“You’re pretty jumpy, you know that?” Gai said it like it was an easy thing deflecting Kakashi. “And you're fast. Say, do you want to spar sometime? I’m always up for a hot-blooded challenge.”

“No.” Kakashi frowned, suddenly finding himself very annoyed by the continuous run-ins he had with this wizard. 

Gai didn’t seem the least bit deterred, “We can always race if you want, or we can challenge ourselves to a competition of strength and endurance with pull ups. There’s nothing better to evoke a youthful spirit than-woah, hey! Come back!”

Kakashi had turned on his heels and left Gai standing in the middle of a crowd of students. He was reading his book again. This chapter was a particularly steamy one, where the girl gives herself over to the ninja who saved her from the vile warrior ghost who sought to absorb her soul. 

“I take it you’re not very social.” 

Jeez, this guy was persistent. 

“I wanted to ask if you would like to be mentored in the new club. I don’t know if you saw me at orientation, but I gave a speech about-“

“We  _ all _ saw you at Orientation.” Kakashi huffed, still keeping his attention focused on the illustration of the girl slowly slipping off the pure white of her kimono. 

Gai chuckled in a friendly, happy manner, “That makes me feel good. So what do you say then? I may not be the club president, but I could be your mentor, since we’re already familiar.” 

“Hard pass.” 

Gai took up pace next to Kakashi, and even at the silver haired wizard’s obvious disinterest, he kept smiling and pestering on like he was completely oblivious to Kakashi blowing him off. 

“I would never force a fellow student to participate in something they didn’t want to do.” Gai declared with a noble sense of honor. “But it is hard to stand idly by when you look lonely.”

Lonely, huh? 

Kakashi’s been alone for most of his life. What difference did being alone make to him? There were some people in this world who thrived off of social interactions, who required the familiarity of friendship and family to comfort them, but Kakashi wasn’t one of those people. Solitude was something he knew quite intimately. It didn’t bother him, not nearly as much as it seemed to bother Gai. 

Kakashi stopped walking, and focused his grey eyes on the green clad man. Gai’s social energy was brighter than the sun it seemed, and there wasn’t a moment Kakashi hadn’t seen this man smiling. Absently, the CTU agent wondered if Gai knew what people said about him, what they thought about him. 

Looking at that blinding smile, Kakashi had a feeling he did. 

Sighing, Kakashi admitted, “Look, you seem nice and all, but I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to study and learn, and I won’t have any distractions that keep me from doing that.” It was a bit of a lie mixed in with a half truth, but it should serve its purpose. 

“Nonsense!” Gai never faltered, even when faced with Kakashi’s clear distaste. “Everyone needs a friend.” 

“I don’t want one.” 

Easily, Gai countered by asking, “...How about a rival, then?” 

Kakashi paused, his expression morphing from bored to momentarily surprised to mildly curious. 

Gai was still smiling, but it was a different expression than before. If Kakashi had to describe it, he’d say it was slightly challenging. 

“Huh?”

“A rival!” Gai gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up, “We will challenge each other to the ends of this earth in a struggle to see who is the greatest between us! You will be my sole motivation to better myself, and I will be yours to surpass your limits time and time again! It will be a rivalry that will be written in the history books as one of great honor and success!” 

Okay, this dude was definitely off his rocker. 

“So what do you say then, rival? Will you be my man of destiny?” Gai extended his hand as if Kakashi were supposed to take it, and skip off into the horizon with him. 

Kakashi felt completely bewildered by this man, and he wasn’t really sure what he should say. Somewhere near the capital of Baeun, Kakashi was convinced Minato was laughing his ass off. Somewhere nearby, Tsunade was probably cackling with cruel content. 

In this moment, Kakashi did the only thing he thought could possibly get him out of this weird situation. He brought his book up to cover his face, and walked away. This time, Gai didn’t follow, and Kakashi was entirely too grateful for that. 


	5. Chapter Four: A Household Visit and the Flaming Wizard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi is visited by an old friend before he gets to work on his investigation. Also, Gai likes puppies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much action going on in this chapter, but it picks up soon :) If you like, please leave a comment, kudos, or subscribe!! Thank you for reading.

**_Chapter Four: A Household Visit and the Flaming Wizard_ **

The apartment that Kakashi was living in for the duration of this mission was chosen by Ibiki. The complex was a ways away from campus, and for this reason, there wasn’t a record showing that any other student from Konoha Academy lived there. It would be easier for Kakashi to operate as a CTU agent if his fellow classmates didn’t see him disappearing and breaking curfew at all hours of the night. 

The apartments were nicer than the accommodations given to him at the CTU. For one, it was much larger. The bathroom was attached to his bedroom, but also had a secondary door that attached it to the hallway so that guests could enter without having to walk through his bedroom. The kitchen was double the size than the one back at HQ, with brand new appliances and a floor that was recently renovated. The living room faced the balcony, which was two stories up from the ground floor. His view was that of a small, neighborhood park, where children ran around the playground and dogs barked at each other in the fenced area. It was a relatively quiet neighborhood, with families being the primary occupants living here. It was clean and well kept, and didn’t have that urban atmosphere like the rest of Konoha did. 

Kakashi had an inkling that Ibiki chose this place not for the convenience of being left alone, but because Ibiki wanted to stay here himself and decided to live vicariously through Kakashi. 

Ibiki spared no expense when selecting this apartment. It came pre-furnished, but the mild decorations were obviously Ibiki and Minato’s handiwork. To make it seem more realistic that Kakashi lived there, they even hung up a few doctored photos of Kakashi attending his fake middle school as well as receiving an award for Outstanding Magical Achievement. Kakashi laughed when he saw the photoshopped picture of himself, mostly because Ibiki chose Kakashi’s military photo from when he was 12 as the one to use. It was fairly well done. If Kakashi didn’t recall the military photo from his youth, he would’ve never suspected that’s where his image came from. 

Tearing his eyes away from the pictures, Kakashi stepped outside onto his balcony and relished the cool, fresh air. Fall was just a hint on the breeze, but brought with it a promise of cooler weather and long, cozy nights. There were a couple of families taking a stroll around the part. Some were stopped at the food truck nearby, others were supervising their children as they swung from the monkey bars. It was a clear day outside. The sky was a cloudless blue and the trees still had their fresh, green leaves. The breeze made it easy for some people to fly kites. All in all, it was a peaceful afternoon. 

The world wasn’t always like this though. It used to be blood, and violence, and fear all rolled into one shit show for dominance and power. It used to be hate, and tears, and painful losses. There weren’t many who escaped the Second Great War without having been affected in some way or another, whether it was the loss of a friend, or family, or even their land, the Great War’s terror reached even the most isolated of communities. Those days, slightly less than two decades ago, were ones history wished it could forget. 

Kakashi didn’t like to torment himself with thoughts of the war, but sometimes, especially when he saw such peace as the scene playing out below him, he couldn’t help but ponder those days. He was one of the most affected. Not only were the lands rightfully belonging to the Hatake family stolen and destroyed, but Kakashi lost something far more important than his ancestral rights. He lost his father, the only other surviving member of the Hatake family at the time. 

Sakumo Hatake. Even after all these years, Kakashi still remembered the kind face of his father’s that looked remarkably like his own. Unlike Kakashi, Sakumo was a gentle man. His ability to empathize and form genuine bonds with the people around him was one Kakashi notably lacked. Sakumo was beloved by all those around him, and no one would have thought that he was capable of becoming one of the greatest wizards to fight for Baeun after he was drafted. A simple farmer, no one expected much from Sakumo when he received his letter. The village were all sad to see him go, but it was the way of the world back then, and no one could do anything to stop it. Kakashi was almost too young to remember the day his father first left. He remembered crying hysterically, and hugging his nannies skirts. Sakumo visited as often as he could, and each time he returned there were new scars and stories to tell to his young Kakashi. 

It wasn’t long before the rumors of the White Fang of Baeun, a wizard of unbelievable skill, reached the village. His name was whispered in fear amongst the enemies, or at least, that’s what the rumors said. They said the White Fang was terrifying with his awesome power, and could destroy entire cities in less than a day. No one even considered to associate the name with the mild mannered Sakumo Hatake until soldiers came to the village requesting the assistance of the White Fang. 

It was a shock to the village, as well as to Kakashi. He only ever knew his father as the sweet man who brought back souvenirs and read him stories before bed. To hear that his father was  _ the _ White Fang, the equivalent to five wizards put together in power, it was one that filled him with both pride and fear. His father had massacred entire towns before, and here he was, smiling down at Kakashi with all the love and adoration a father had for his son. 

Sakumo Hatake was a hero, until he wasn’t. 

Kakashi was lost in his musings of a time long since passed when he felt a familiar magical energy from within his apartment. It hummed and called out to him, letting the CTU agent know that it meant no harm. Kakashi wouldn't ever think that the magical energy would cause him harm anyway, it was too familiar to make him wary. 

“Minato,” Kakashi greeted without turning around. He could feel as Minato came to stand a few feet behind him. “What are you doing here?”

“Visiting my favorite student,” came the casual reply, like Minato wasn’t breaking 101 rules and protocols by sneaking into Kakashi’s apartment. 

Kakashi sighed and rubbed at his forehead. Although Minato was the Chancellor, the highest position that could ever be afforded to a wizard, he still didn’t act like it. 

“You looked lost in your thoughts just now. What’s troubling you?”

Kakashi’s grip momentarily tightened on the balcony rails he was leaning on as mementoes of a smiling Saluki haunted him, but with a small frown Kakashi whisked those thoughts away. 

“Nothing important,” Kakashi turned to meet the cobalt blue eyes of his teacher, “You shouldn’t be here.”

This much was true. Knowing Minato, the wizard probably snuck away from his guard, and was now roaming the city of Konoha unprotected. It wasn’t the first time something like this happened, and it wouldn’t be the last. Minato was a troublesome Chancellor. He wasn’t as formal as the previous ones, but he was infinitely more powerful. 

“You sound like Kushina.” Minato laughed, warm and bright to match the vivid yellow of his hair. Minato was incredibly young for a Chancellor, barely a day over 28. Most chancellor’s weren’t appointed until they were well seasoned and in their mid-forties, so it was quite the outrage when Sarutobi passed the mantle onto the young and hopeful Minato Namikaze. 

“It’s not like I’m going to get in trouble. I am the Chancellor, after all.” 

“You still shouldn’t be here.” Kakashi pressed. “If someone saw you with me-“

“They’re not.” Minato affirmed, “I think I can manage to sneak around without anyone figuring out who I am. You  _ are _ looking at a trained professional.”

Kakashi couldn’t help himself as he snorted. At the moment, Minato looked anything but. He was covered in what looked to be Naruto’s baby food, there were some small toys tangled in the strands of his hair, and deep, dark bags of exhaustion under his eyes. 

“Naruto giving you a hard time?” Kakashi softened, because although he was annoyed at Minato showing up out of the blue, Minato was still an important person in his life. Whether Kakashi liked it or not. 

“He’s a great kid,” the chancellor sighed as he collapsed on the moss colored sofa in the middle of Kakashi’s living room. “But he’s just so energetic. I try to have time for him, but then I’m always off doing chancellor things and it’s just...a lot. Kushina is worried.” 

Kakashi closed the blinds to his front room before going to poor Minato a drink. The kitchen wasn’t well stocked, but there were some cups sitting in the cabinet. Minato would just have to deal with sink water instead of the whiskey he looked like he needed. 

“Thank you.” Minato accepted the proffered drink and relaxed into the cushions of the sofa. He was all squished up, with his knees carefully cradled to his chest and his head smushed back in between the cushions. He definitely didn’t look like the most powerful wizard in Baeun, that’s for sure. 

“How is the Academy? Is it still as posh and pretentious as I remember it?” 

“You can tell some of the students are privileged, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” 

Minato nodded and sipped from his plastic cup, “I spoke with Sarutobi about you, but he thought it best not to tell any of the other faculty members about your true purpose.” 

“Not even Dean Dormanio?” 

At the name, Minato sputtered in his cup, “Don’t tell me  _ that _ hellish fiend still works there!?” 

Kakashi nodded gravely, and Minato groaned in horror. Kakashi wasn’t too sure about the history between the two, but it was obviously an awful one. Minato looked positively frightened at the thought of that witchy woman. 

“I swear if she’s there when Naruto attends...oh my poor son.” Minato lamented. 

“Is she that bad?” 

A withering glare was Minato’s only response to Kakashi’s question. Naturally, Kakashi was curious. If both Ibiki  _ and _ Minato were terrified of the woman, she must truly be the most wicked of them all. 

“Still, you do have a point. I’ll talk with Sarutobi about informing her of your position. It pains me to say it, but she might even be of some help to you.” 

“Her primary magic is spirit magic, isn’t it?” 

Minato cringed as if recalling some distant, horrible memory, “ _ Yes _ .” 

Kakashi didn’t press, mainly because Minato looked positively mortified. Minato didn’t talk a lot about his days at the Academy. He attended only for a year, his sixth year, before returning to his military contract. Kakashi knew that Minato and Kushina met during his time there, but that was all Minato ever mentioned of those days. At the time when he attended, Baeun, as well as the rest of the world, were still trying to recover from the war. It wasn’t any surprise when the government pulled Minato from finishing his education to do other missions. It wasn’t too long after that Kakashi was assigned to Minato’s team along with two others around his age. 

“What’s your plan for attracting the abductors?” Minato asked, curious as he always was about Kakashi’s thoughts. Even when Kakashi was 12, a simple child soldier in the eyes of Baeun, Minato still cared and valued his input. 

It was the main reason Kakashi respected the man so much. 

“Set myself apart from the others. Give them a taste of my power, to make them curious, and then leave myself vulnerable. The key is to make them want  _ me _ .” Kakashi explained. “All the other wizards and witches that were abducted studied combat application of magic, and they were considered the top of their class.” 

It was no far jump in logic for Kakashi to assume that the abductors, or whoever they were, wanted only the best of the best. 

Minato didn’t look too pleased by the plan, but he understood what line Kakashi’s thoughts seemed to follow. 

Still, the chancellor pursed his lips, “How many of your abilities are you planning to expose?” 

Kakashi shrugged, “Whatever gets their attention, I guess.” 

Minato frowned, but he knew there wasn’t much he could say to persuade Kakashi, “Ibiki will be your support for this mission. Any problems at all, and I mean  _ anything _ , and you report to him immediately. I also want daily updates on your status. If you miss one of those updates, I’m going to assume that you’re in trouble and I won’t be held accountable for the destruction I cause looking for you.” That last tidbit of information was said with a smile, but also with a hint of promise. 

Unwittingly, Kakashi imagined a reckless Minato along with a furious Kushina tearing up the world in search for their beloved Kakashi. 

“I also want you to have Pakkun on standby any time you leave to investigate.” 

Pakkun was a dog-type familiar and one of eight that Kakashi had, forming a large pack. As with all familiars, they lived in a separate, parallel realm to the mortal one, but could be summoned through Kakashi’s magic. Familiars weren’t hard to come by. Most every wizard or witch formed a contract with one, but Kakashi’s familiars were special. Unlike other familiars, who tended to find their witch or wizard when they were fully grown, Kakashi had both raised and trained his pack in order to bring out the best of their abilities. Pakkun was Kakashi’s first familiar, and his most trusted companion. Minato knew Pakkun fairly well, as they met on several occasions during Kakashi’s trainee days under the chancellor. 

“Speaking of Pakkun, when was the last time you summoned your pack?” When questioned, Kakashi realized that it had been awhile since he called upon his familiars. Usually, he called on them once or twice a week. Sometimes it was for the sake of a mission, and other times Kakashi enjoyed the companionship they provided. Kakashi didn’t love many things in this world, but his pack of familiars held a special place in his heart. 

“You’re right. I’ll check in with them soon.” 

Minato nodded and focused on his empty hands. He finished his water a few minutes ago, and was now comfortably snuggled into Kakashi’s couch, with a small, knitted blanket thrown over his lap. Minato was more at ease in this apartment than CTU agent was, and it was  _ technically _ Kakashi’s temporary home. Thinking about it, Minato was like that from the first day they met. It was easy for Minato to speak with people, to grow comfortable with his environment, and to relax, whereas Kakashi was the exact opposite. Insomnia haunted him even in his own bed, and Kakashi’s only comforts were Jirayia’s books and his familiars. New environments made Kakashi feel anxious, and when people he didn’t know were thrown into the mix? Kakashi frowned at the thought. People were easy to read, but that didn’t make connecting with them any easier. 

“You really should be careful on this mission, Kakashi.” Minato’s tone took an unexpected hint of seriousness. “I feel as if we’ve barely scratched the surface on what’s going on.”

Kakashi sighed and crossed his arms, “When am I never careful, Minato?” 

In response to his question, blue eyes leveled Kakashi with a skeptical glare, “I heard about your last mission from Tsunade. That was an unacceptable risk, letting yourself fall into their traps  _ on purpose _ .” 

“I knew full well what the enemy was capable of.” Kakashi sniffed, trying not to wilt underneath the older man’s scowl. 

“I reassigned you to the CTU so you could  _ escape _ the darkness Kakashi. I wanted you to start a new life for yourself not...I don't want you to limit yourself to what the government says you should be. You’re more than a soldier. You're more than a pawn.” 

It wasn’t the first time Kakashi heard this speech, and it wasn’t the first time Kakashi felt squeamish when listening to it. 

What else did Minato expect? 

He took Kakashi, who’s only ever belonged to a world of violence, and removed him completely from a familiar element. Kakashi was  _ raised _ to kill. It was a purpose that’d been hammered into his skull for well over a decade. He underwent abuse, neglect, and full on torture so that he could be primed into the perfect war fighting machine for Baeun. Kakashi wasn’t like these other kids. He didn’t have a family. He didn’t have friends. He didn’t grow up receiving awards for outstanding magical achievement or being lauded for his natural, prodigidal talent. Minato should know this. He was raised the same way, and yet the two of them had completely opposing outlooks. 

It was infuriating. 

When Minato sensed that he wasn’t going to get a further reply from Kakashi, he sighed and moved to stand up. 

“I should get going,” He said kindly, mustering up a gentle smile when he looked into Kakashi’s hardened gaze. “Kushina’s probably wondering where I ran off to, and Naruto is sure to ask for me.”

Minato moved to walk by Kakashi, but hesitated. It was obvious that Minato had so much he wanted to say. Instead, he simply placed a warm hand on the younger man’s shoulders. 

“I stand by what I said. You should really visit us soon.” Kakashi didn’t verbally answer, but he did let some of the tension ease from his shoulders beneath Minato’s touch. Seeing this, Minato’s smile broadened into a brighter, more genuine one. “See you around, kid.” 

And with that, Minato was gone. It was a relatively simple feat for the Chancellor to pop in and out, considering he possessed a teleportation type magic, and while it might have been astonishing to others, Kakashi merely stared at the place Minato once stood. 

He didn’t know how long he was standing there, but he did know it was until the ache in his chest faded into a small throb and the thoughts of Minato and darkness were just a subconscious memory in his thought muddled mind. 

It was early in the morning, too early seeing as how the sun wasn’t even up, when Kakashi rolled out of bed and fell onto the cool, wooden floors in an exhausted bundle of blankets and sheets. Sleep did not come easily last night and his body was clearly paying for it. Every muscle and bone groaned in protest when the CTU agent shuffled to a standing position. His limbs were tight, and fatigue plagued his eyes until they blurred with tired tears. 

Still on top of the bed, there was a slight shuffling, rummaging noise, before the head of a pug poked out from beneath the heap of pillows. 

“Morning boss.” Pakkun yawned tiredly, rubbing his paw across his face in a slow, leisurely manner. Behind Pakkun, the rest of Kakashi’s pack of familiars, were still piled up and knocked out, their various snores echoing through the soft darkness of the early morning room. 

“Why are you up so early?”

“I’m going to set up surveillance in the combat arena at the Academy.” Kakashi answered back softly as he arched his back into a soft stretch. “I want to finish before the first students arrive.” 

“Hmm,” Pakkun hummed before letting his snout rest on the soft mattress, his dark brown, floppy ears fanned out to each side of him, while his large, puppy brown eyes studied Kakashi carefully. “You look tired, Kakashi.” 

“I am.” The silver haired wizard admitted. “But I slept better last night knowing the pack was with me.” 

Said pack of familiar dogs were still snoozing away, unaware and uncaring to the conversation between Pakkun and Kakashi. After Minato left, Kakashi summoned his familiars and apologized for not having been in contact recently. They forgave him instantly, as they always did, and set about familiarizing themselves with Kakashi’s new apartment. It wasn’t long until Bull, his largest combat familiar, but also the one with the softest fur, settled onto the living room sofa and took a nap. The rest soon followed, and when Kakashi turned in for the night, they curled themselves around his lean body as if to protect him from anyone and anything. They were the most loyal of companions, and their dedication to Kakashi was more than most familiars had to their summoners. 

Pakkun was the first familiar Kakashi found as a small, newborn pup. He was just a tiny, forgotten thing, dismissed by the other wizards and witches as being weak and useless. Kakashi didn’t think that though. He was only 6 at the time, but when he saw that tiny pug pup, he saw the potential for an expert tracker and strategic mind. Under Kakashi’s careful hand, Pakkun could become one of the greatest known tracking familiars in history. 

“You really shouldn’t wait so long to summon us.” Pakkun scolded. He was always so quick to lecture Kakashi on any given opportunity. “It’s not good for our bond.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Kakashi’s apology was genuine, as it had been the night before, and while Pakkun believed Kakashi, there was still a frown worrying it’s way onto the familiar’s features. 

Pakkun was obviously concerned about more than just Kakashi’s neglect. Absently, the CTU agent wondered if Minato somehow passed a message on to Pakkun to keep an eye on Kakashi, and maybe that was the cause as to why Pakkun seemed so scrutinizing as he eyeballed the silver haired wizard. 

“I’ll send Urushi to scout ahead before you arrive at the Academy.” Pakkun decided, standing up and stretching at length before padding over to the rest of the pack. Kakashi could have told him no since he was the summoner, but that wasn’t the relationship Kakashi had with his familiars. He trusted their judgment, especially Pakkun’s, and he wasn’t going to refute his pack’s decisions because he didn’t want to be babysat. 

“Urushi.” Pakkun nudged at one of the slumbering dogs resting on top of Bull. Urushi was one of the smaller dogs in the pack, with soft brown fur and a white underbelly. He was Kakashi’s third familiar, and was particularly gifted in executing team commands, as well as tactically evaluating a given situation. Urushi’s sharp eyes blearily blinked open. He yawned, stretched, and emanated a low groaning sound as he hopped off Bull’s back and sauntered over the edge of the bed where Kakashi stood.

“Good morning Boss.” Unlike Pakkun, who had a rather deep voice for a creature so small, Urushi’s voice was high and scratchy, like he was left hoarse from a violent coughing fit. “What’s the deal, Pakkun?” 

“Go ahead of Kakashi and scout out the Combat Arena at the Konoha Academy. He’s going to set up surveillance, so the area needs to be clear before he moves in.” 

Urushi nodded along to Pakkun’s debriefing. It was a simple scouting routine, one that Urushi performed a thousand times before. Usually, Uhei and Urushi would scout together, but Uhei was still recovering from their last mission several weeks ago when he suffered a severe injury to his front left paw. Even today, he was still wrapped in healing bandages and could only move around so much before becoming exhausted. 

“Seems easy enough. Am I on the lookout for anyone in particular, or just general occupation?” 

This time, Pakkun deferred to Kakashi. “General occupation.” The wizard answered. Kakashi knelt down by his bedside, and took a moment to adjust Urushi’s vest Kakashi had given to all his dogs. It was navy blue in color, with a hand drawn cartoon face painted in white on the back. When Kakashi was a small child, his father taught him how to draw that exact cartoon, and in his memory, Kakashi had bestowed the black lind face to his dogs. 

“I know it might be weird going without Uhei.” Kakashi checked the straps on the vests for any tears that might hinder Urushi’s movement, “But I trained you well.” 

Uhei’s injury had struck the pack of familiars with a low and painful blow. Kakshi did, and still felt like he was responsible and somehow failed his pack when he found Uhei bleeding and near death. Uhei tried telling Kakashi that it was okay, that this was all part of his duties to protect Kakashi, but it still didn’t sit right with the Wizard. Even right now, the sight of Urushi without Uhei standing next to him was a weird and solemn one. 

“Boss,” Urushi nuzzled his hand briefly against Kakashi. “We would gladly give our lives for you.” 

Before Kakashi could say anything else, Urushi was dashing out the bedroom window, disappearing into the early morning light with a speed that was difficult to comprehend. Kakashi sighed and stood up, adjusting the mask over his face carefully before turning to Pakkun. 

“I leave in five minutes. Watch over the others.” 

“You got it, Kakashi.” 

When Urushi met Kakashi en route to the Academy, he quickly gave his report. 

“There is one person inside the combat arena, and two security guards who are patrolling the outside of the building in a roving guard. They do not seem to be competent in spotting or stopping possible intruders. I believe they are simply there as a deterrent.” 

“And the student inside the arena? Will he notice if I’m there?” 

“I couldn’t get a good read on him.” Urushi admitted. “He seemed rather oblivious to his surroundings but...I don’t know. There was an awareness to him that made me think he knew I was there.”

“Were you spotted?” Kakashi glanced to his right where Urushi ran alongside him. Usually, Kakashi wouldn’t have taken a route across rooftops to reach the Academy, but it was the best way to keep from being spotted, as well as providing the most direct route to the school. During the day, Kakashi hardly thought he would get away with running across the roofs without someone saying something, but under the cover of darkness, he was practically invisible dressed in his all black attire. 

“Of course not.” Urushi said this as if it were some sort of insult to assume he was. “Like I said, I couldn’t get a good read on the guy. I suspect he might have been more powerful than he was letting on, but it’s not like I could properly gauge him. The dude had no magical signature whatsoever.”

_ Gai _ . Kakashi thought to himself. It could  _ only _ be Gai. No one else in this damned Academy could suppress their magical energy like that, if Gai was even suppressing it. 

_ This is just great. _ A frown worked its way across Kakashi’s scowling expression.  _ I’ll need to find a way to distract him so I can place my surveillance seals without that weirdo noticing.  _

“Urushi.”

“Yes, boss?” 

“How good are you at playing the cute and lost stray puppy?” 

Urushi’s eyes narrowed skeptically as the two of them leapt between gaps on the roofs. Landing without even making a sound, Kakashi explained, “I want you to distract that student who is training. If it’s who I think it is, it won’t be that hard. Just show your belly and lick his face, and he’ll be putty in your hands.” 

“I get a belly rub out of this?” Urushi’s toothy smile was crooked and pleased. The expression shouldn’t have worked so well on a dog, but Urushi resembled a fox more than anything, and the sly look suited his personality quite well. “How strong is this guy, boss? Just in case things go south.” 

“I don’t know.” Kakashi honestly answered. It was true, he had no gauge on Gai’s abilities other than when he expelled himself from kakashi’s grip yesterday. Suddenly, the white haired wizard was regretting turning down Gai’s offer to spar. 

“He has no magic that I can sense, but he wouldn’t be at the Academy if he didn’t have at least one trick up his sleeve.” 

“So, proceed with caution then, eh?” Urushi followed Kakashi as the Academy came into sight as the wizard hopped down from the roof to the empty streets below. 

“Yeah.” Kakashi remembered Gai’s all too friendly smile, and the way he seemed excited about  _ everything _ , “Proceed with caution.” 

He watched Urushi walk up to Gai from a hidden corner in the arena. He was several flights up, tucked away in a shroud of darkness where the arena lights didn’t touch. Down below, Gai was training, having dragged out a series of wooden posts to practice his hand to hand combat skills. Kakashi observed the fluid movements skeptically. Sure, Gai’s technique was near flawless, and his powerful kicks would do some serious damage, but there was no other element to his training. It was just Gai brutalizing some dummies with brute strength. 

It was odd, to say the least. 

Urushi trailed in after Kakashi a few minutes later, limping on his paw and whimpering rather dramatically. He watched as Urushi whined high and keen, like someone was killing him, and it was enough to distract Gai momentarily from his training. Curiously, the green clad man turned to the source of the disruption, and his eyes widened in surprise. 

“It’s a puppy!” He yelled, to no one in particular as he rushed over to Urushi. Kakashi studied the interaction, mostly to ensure that his familiar would be safe, before bounding off to quickly insert his surveillance seals around the arena. 

The surveillance seals were a spell taught by Minato. They were practically impossible to detect, and allowed Kakashi to see real time occurrences in a ten meter, 180 degree radius of where the seal was placed. The seals were particularly nifty on large scale stealth missions that depended solely on Kakashi not being caught. It was a simple matter emplacing the seals, but the arena was astoundingly large. It towered like a colosseum, built from stone and concrete. Unlike the other buildings which were flattered with designs, the arena was built for the sole purpose of practicality. It was structured in a way that provided optimal training appeal, with a large dueling area in the center, surrounded by different, smaller rooms where one could practice a specialized magic against certain elements. Having studied the layout thoroughly, Kakashi began with the classrooms on the floors below the main combat area, before working his way up through the outer rooms. 

“ _Surveill_ _Seal_.” Kakashi placed his hand on a section of the wall that granted visibility over three different hallways. His hand glowed a soft yellow. The magic encased his hand, swirling in an ethereal, otherworldly manner before transferring to the spot Kakashi was hovering over. The seal magic flowed over the wall, and before gathering to form the shape of an eye roughly the size of Kakashi’s palm. The magical eye blinked up at Kakashi curiously, as if recognizing Kakashi as the seal’s master. Quickly, the wizard tested his connection to the seal. Once he confirmed that the seal was done properly, he stepped back and observed as the softly glowing magic seeped into the wall as if it were being absorbed. 

The surveillance seal gave off a small magical signature, nearly imperceptible, and was invisible to the human eye unless someone knew where to look for it and cast a revealing spell. Kakashi tested the seal once more before moving to a different section of the arena. He moved quickly and efficiently. He didn’t know how long Urushi could keep Gai distracted, and there was always the risk of someone else entering the arena. 

By the time he finished, nearly fifteen minutes later, he was sweating, having exerted a fair amount of magic to emplace twenty different seals. He was fast to, having completed both the bottom floor, the outer rooms, and the Arena area within a remarkable amount of time. It still wasn’t as fast as Minato, but there were few, if none, who could complete that feat. 

Urushi met him outside the arena. He looked quite pleased with himself with his fur all messed up like he’d received an abundance of pets. 

“Gai?” 

“I managed to lure him out of the arena for a good bit. He tried taking me to the vet. It was kind of sweet how worried he was about a stray.” Urushi brought his front paw up to his mouth to clean it. “I’m sure he’s back training though. He kept going on and on about needing to train his body to physical perfection in order to capture the true spirit of youth.” 

Kakashi didn’t doubt Urushi in the slightest. Gai certainly had a curious personality, and that was coming from Kakashi who was surrounded by weirdos on the daily bases.

“Alright. Report back to Pakkun. Tell him everything went well.”

“Right, boss.” Urushi took off after Kakashi returned Urushi’s blue vest, his small body disappearing in the distance as he took to the roofs. 

Only now did the sun begin to creep over the horizon, the first rays of yellow and orange light fanning out across the great city of Konoha. Kakashi took a moment to observe it, appreciating the simple pleasure of seeing nature in all of its astounding beauty. Kakashi’s fair skin glowed as he basked beneath the golden light, the strands of his silvery hair billowing softly in the curling breeze. There was a certain peace that could be found in quiet moments like these, where the world was on the verge of waking up, but still lulled to calm sleep. It was like standing in a moment frozen in time, before the birds began to chirp and the bacon began to sizzle. He soaked it in, his eyes falling shut as he breathed in deeply, steadily, and released again. 

Not a moment later, the first signs of life arose in Konoha. It began with the barking dogs and children’s laughter, a “mommy wake up” to a “dear can you start breakfast?” In a matter of minutes the world gave a widening yawn and rose from bed, ready to start another day. The moment of peace was dispelled and Kakashi tore his gaze from the sun now settled fully above the horizon. 

As he went to roam around the campus until the dining hall opened, he was stopped by the presence of a magical signature behind him. It was familiar in the sense that he felt it before, but not in the way that he knew immediately who it was. Kakashi paused mid step, and turned his head to glance over his shoulder. In the distance, he saw Falan Redcia, the other newbie for the sixth year students, walking towards him. His hair was a deeper orange than usual in the early sun, and his eyes were practically alight as he glowered at Kakashi. 

“Yo.” The silver haired wizard greeted boredly, granting the flaming wizard a lazy, two fingered wave. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Tch.” Falan scoffed, obviously displeased by the other’s presence. “What’s a loser like you doing here so early? Don’t tell me you’re studying a combat oriented major?” 

Kakashi’s eye smile was fake and teasing as he sweetly replied, “There’s no need to call me names.” 

Falan’s scowl deepened, “Just get out of my way.”

“You could say please.” Kakashi muttered, wondering what this guy’s deal was. Even during the orientation, he seemed to hold an instant dislike for Kakashi, but maybe that’s because Kakashi liked to read porn in public. Who knew?

“I don’t have to say anything to you.” Falan was as vicious as his magical energy as it lashed out of his body like a whip, trying to intimidate Kakashi into back omg away. 

Unaffected, the silver haired wizard felt his lips curl into a crookedly amused smirk, “You don't seem to be very friendly.” 

“I don’t like your attitude.” 

Well, at least he was honest. 

“Oh?” Kakashi inclined his head to side and feigned surprise, “And why’s that?” 

“Because you’re probably some privileged brat who never had to try to get here.” Came the growling response. Falan was obviously passionate about his assumption, and the CTU agent didn’t bother correcting it. “Unlike the clans from the core nations, us  _ lessers _ have to struggle for  _ years _ just to get acknowledged.” 

“And you think I didn’t?” 

“I  _ know _ you didn’t.” Falan asserted, his fists clenching with how heated he was. His magical energy was simmering inside of him. Kakashi could see it twisting and gnashing, an untamable inferno spilling out from inside of him. He was definitely strong and teeming with potential, but his anger issues left a little to be desired. 

“Hmm,” Kakashi hummed. Fire castors were usually temperamental. Those who possessed an affinity for fire magic tended to be reckless, and limitless in their destruction when they were worked up. They lashed out easily, and left a scorching mess in their wake. As children, they were usually mischievous, playing pranks and getting up to no good on a daily basis. When training someone with an affinity to fire magic, self restraint and emotional control were two vital lessons taught. Kakashi supposed that Falan endured similar training, but his magic was red hot, some of the hottest Kakashi felt in a while, and it probably flamed Falan’s emotions until they were a swell of uncontrollable wildfire within him. 

Falan was sure to be a possible target. His magic was too noticeable not to be. He was like a beacon of power, his flaming energy calling out to those around him to establish magical dominance. The kid really needed to work on toning it down. It was kind of obnoxious. 

“If we’re done talking, I would like to get some training in before breakfast begins.” Falan attempted to push past Kakashi, his shoulder bumping against the other in a relatively aggressive manner. 

Before the orange hair bundle of fury could get very far, Kakashi snagged the smaller wizard by his bicep, his fingers curling firmly around the tense muscles. 

“Reign in your magic.” Kakashi told him seriously, dropping his previous careless demeanor. “Unless you’re trying to draw unwanted attention.” 

“Unhand me!” Falan ripped himself from Kakashi’s grip, his magic surging violently with his movement. His eyes were fire in this moment and his hair came alive as magic entwined itself into the long, straight strands. “What makes you think you have the right to touch me?” 

Kakashi shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his casual athletic attire. 

“Just giving you some friendly advice, one wizard to another.” 

“Well don't.” Falan spat, straightening his pressed, white coat from where Kakashi grip wrinkled it. The fabric was rich and thick, but flexible enough that it tailored to the curve of the shorter male’s body. He must be trying to give off the impression that he was somehow just as important as the other students, and the only way he sought to do that was by making his appearance as pristine and impeccable as possible. 

“I don’t have the time to deal with you.” Falan dismissed him with a haughty sniff and stalked through the front doors of the combat arena. Kakashi watched him go, sighing as the doors slammed dramatically behind the fiery wizard. 

This mission just began, and he was already totally over it. 


	6. Chapter Five: Kakashi Hatake--SS Ranked Wizard?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evaluations for the combat program at Konaha Academy begin. It's officially Kakashi's first day at school, but already dark forces are trying to work their way into this prestigious magical school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been awhile, but life has been hectic: new college, new job, Covid rising like the Dark Lord. Etc... I'll be better. I promise.

**_Chapter Five: Kakashi Hatake, SS-Ranked Wizard!_ **

“Welcome students to the Advanced Combat Course here at Konoha Academy. As you know, this program focuses on combat applications of magic. You will continue to learn foundational combat and medical spells that are universal for all types of magic, as well as develop unique spells for your individual primary magic.” 

Kakashi sat towards the back of the classroom where the sixth year students were ushered in on their first day. The instructor, a middle aged man who went by the name Professor Devon Conano, stood still in front of the large classroom near an empty chalkboard. He was dressed in a standard combat uniform, which consisted of plain grey cargo pants and a matching short sleeved crew neck shirt. Around his waist there was a belt with various pouches attached. From experience, Kakashi knew those pouches contained potions and poisons that were useful to have in the battle field for an injured teammate or an enemy captive. 

Professor Conano was a plain man. Besides the stern lines of his face, there was nothing notably remarkable about him. His hair was dark, but bespeckled with gray, and his eyes were a light green, but they seemed less vibrant as the man went on in the years. Kakashi knew he was a war veteran from the profile Ibiki gave him, and that he was incredibly skilled in combat despite his magic power rated among the average. 

Still, those who took his class came out the better for it. Not only were they physically skilled, but Professor Conano made sure his students were tactically sound as well. Teamwork was a huge principle of his that he liked to reiterate to his students, which was sensible considering individual missions were far and few in between and were only bestowed to the most capable of agents or soldiers. 

“The first rule of my class is to maintain your discipline. You will not interrupt anyone while they are speaking. You will not disrespect another student, and most importantly, you will not fight another student in an unsanctioned duel. This may be a combat course, but duels are strictly regulated to prevent serious injury. You will learn nothing by blindly fighting another student, and if I catch wind of unsanctioned fights, you will immediately be placed under investigation with a recommendation for expulsion.” 

Professor Conano’s glare was firm, but not unkind as he met the eyes of the thirty students that filled his classroom. There were two other classes for the sixth years studying combat dedicated magic, with Kakashi’s class being the smallest. Falan was sitting towards the front, dutiful and attentive, and Gai, still wearing those damned leg warmers, sat beside the flaming wizard, looking equally as enthralled. 

It made Kakashi want to roll his eyes and bury his nose in his perverted novels. 

“Regularly scheduled duels to practice new spells or team fighting will take place in the arena where students can be closely evaluated on technique, battle prowess, strategy, and team cooperation. However, there will be exercises that will take place in various environments around Konoha to test skill in an unfamiliar and uncontrolled environment. When in the wilderness or in an urban setting, you will be evaluated for collateral damage, survival skills, and adaptability to a changing battle environment.” 

Kakashi thrummed his fingers against the table he was seated at. The desks weren’t like the small, cramped ones he had back at the Stoneworth Military Academy. These were spacious and well maintained, with comfortable chairs and various desk drawers for whatever supplies were needed. It was different, but somehow similar to the trainee school Kakashi attended. Back at Stoneworth, they followed a similar curriculum to the one outlined by Conano, but without all the necessary safety measures. If you were careless enough to get injured or even killed, that was on you. The military didn’t need to cater to its castors. They didn’t need pampered, spoiled brats. They needed killers. Soldiers. People who would obey without question and with an unfailing loyalty to Baeun. 

Konoha Academy wasn’t cut from the same thread, however. First and foremost, Konoha Academy was a school of prodigious magic. Their students were cared for, lauded, and even admired. These students were not the bare barreled scraps like Kakashi’s former schoolmates. These kids were not the neglected orphans, the unsavory delinquents, or the forgotten nobodies. These children came from recognized magical clans. They excelled in their magical art form, whether in practicality or theoretical application. They were masters of their craft with a burden of expectations piled onto their shoulders. They were the golden threads of society, the faces of a new generation of leaders. Konoha Academy wanted its students to learn, not act as if it were killed or be killed. Here, students were expected to succeed, whereas the children of Stoneworth were expected to die for their nation. The sacrificial pawns. The nameless faces never to be remembered. 

“Now, most of you are familiar with each other from the last few years of school, but there are two transfers that have joined us.” Professor Conano glanced towards Falan, who brimmed with magical energy, and Kakashi who boredly stared back. 

“As previous attendants of Konoha, you will be welcoming and accommodating. Understood?” There was a chorused ‘yes Professor’ before the room fell silent once more. 

As Kakashi glanced about the room, he took note of those who were S-ranked, and those who were not. He was already tracking Falan, but there was another face he remembered from the orientation, a female with long, blonde hair tied back into a well maintained braid. She was fairly pale with ice blue eyes and a friendly but stern disposition. She was seated near Kakashi and studying the professor while an enchanted pen wrote down notes. At first, there wasn’t anything that struck Kakashi out of the ordinary about the girl, until upon closer inspection he was able to see the delicate sky magic that calmly settled in her core and fanned out like a protective blanket around her. 

Sky magic wasn’t uncommon, but the way the energy seemed protective of her and how controlled it was hinted that she was more powerful than she let on. He’d have to find a way to place a tracking spell on her without her magic noticing. For the flaming wizard, it was quite a simple task. His magic was violent, but not very observant. During their earlier interaction, Kakashi managed to place a tracker on Falan when the other was cursing his existence. The tracker was still there, humming with low, undetectable energy. This girl, Kara, if he remembered her name correctly, would be vastly more difficult. Her magic was a barrier of alertness. Subtle, but effective. 

He frowned, and turned back to face the Professor only to meet the scrutinizing gaze of his instructor. Kakashi blinked, before squinting his eyes in a way that was both disarming and easy going. He certainly didn’t need Conano getting suspicious of him on the first day of class. 

“Are there any questions?” The Professor tore his attention away from Kakashi to scan the room, answering any of the raised hands with patience and politeness. 

Once the last question had been answered, Professor Conano motioned for the class to stand up, “We will now begin first day evaluations. As individuals, you’ll be pitted against different members of the class. You want to fight hard, but the main purpose of these evaluations are to note areas that you excel in, and areas you may need some work. Be sure to showcase your techniques, both offensive and defensive abilities, as well as your skill to analyze and defeat your opponent. There will be no  _ winners _ to these matches. I will say when the fight is over. Tomorrow will be team evaluations. You will be graded on an individual and team level. After seeing your fights today, I will write up the team rosters and post them before the beginning of class tomorrow. Now, follow me.” 

One by one the students filed out from behind their desk. There was light chatter between students who knew each other, and a buzz of excitement from others at the thought of getting to fight on the first day. Kakashi was neither here nor there. He didn’t care so much about the curriculum, but it was a necessity in order to blend in whilst simultaneously painting himself as a potential target. Still, he figured it would be good training, at the very least. Kakashi couldn’t remember the last time he was able to squeeze in more than two hour’s worth of training before he was preparing for his next mission. 

Gai, unsurprisingly, was the most excited about dueling on the first day. He loudly chattered to Falan, who only seemed to tolerate Gai’s exuberance because of the teacher’s rules and their proximity to each other in class. Kakashi almost felt pity for the orange haired wizard. Gai tried talking to Kakashi the moment he arrived at the classroom (almost late, but still on time), but Kakashi had mindlessly walked past the track suit wearing wizard with his nose burrowed safely in his novel. 

_ “Rival!” _ Gai had called out to him, unashamed and unbearably loud, “ _ Your easy indifference towards me is so cool! _ ” Whether it was  _ actually _ cool, or if Gai just dealt with rejection like he did with everything else: with a smile and a thumbs up, that was left up to debate. Either way, Kakashi managed to avoid the bowl cut loudmouth, and now Falan was suffering because of it. Which, honestly the little attitude having prick deserved it. Maybe (unlikely), Gai’s positivity might rub off on the cranky, short bastard. 

“And here we are. Go ahead and file into the first row of bleachers in Section A.” Conano pointed to his right as they entered the main floor of the arena. There were other classes already inside, some fifth, some sixth, and some seventh years all listening attentively to their instructors. Unlike early this morning, when the arena was mostly empty save for Gai’s wooden dummies, the arena was now sectioned off into designated fighting areas. Each class had their own little section of the arena, and although there were quite a few students, the arena was still large enough to accommodate them all. 

Their designated fighting space was towards the center of the arena, squished between the other two sixth year classes. It was a decent size for dueling, large enough that they could maneuver without fear of stepping out of bounds, but small enough that they wouldn’t be able to cast large scale magic. It was meant to see how technical the students were, and if they were able to handle close combat if it came down to it. 

Already, one of the seventh year classes was battling it out. They were both A-Ranked, a witch with illusion magic, and a wizard with weapon summoning magic. The weapon summoning was enjoyable to watch. Usually, weapon summoners fell under the category of summoner magic, which entailed the ability to summon things, whether living or inanimate, from a different dimension or space. In this particular case, the weapon summoner was drafting various magical swords and axes from a collection he probably had hidden away in some unreachable, distant place. Despite the large amount of energy required to summon magical items, summoners depended a lot on the strength of the magical item they possessed. For the magical weapon summoner fighting now, his skill was dependent upon the sword’s level of power, his ability to call upon multiple in quick succession, and his ability to wield them. That’s why most summoning based wizards or witches spend their entire lives searching for greater magical objects. 

Kakashi watched the match for a few minutes until Professor Conano finished setting up the designated duel area. He then called for the attention as he began pairing off names based off a roster he held in his hand. 

“Wells, you will fight Goran in the first match. After that, it’ll be Gai versus Tomo. Then Falan and Jorg will be the third to fight. Kara and Kakashi will fight after that. Bella, you’ll fight Phoebe. Salma will go up against Qwyn…” Conano continued to rattle off names, but Kakashi stopped listening after he was called. 

It might have been a rare stroke of fortune that Kakashi was paired with the witch he was trying to slip a tracking spell on. It still wouldn't be an easy feat to tag her, especially with Conano’s scrutinizing eyes watching, but his best bet was finding a moment of opportunity during the fight where Kara was distracted enough to let his magic slip through and away from the professor’s prying eyes. In his mind, he began running over various tactics he could try, silently gleaning what he could about Kara’s magic with his eyes alone. 

When the first match began, the students were riveted, watching in awe as Wells, a nimble looking wizard with wide spectacles, charged towards Goran, a cautious guy with dark brunette hair and bulging muscles. Their magic clashed in a brilliant spectacle, sparks of magical energy sizzling in the air as the two viciously, yet calculatingly fought. Kakashi was sure these students had witnessed a hundred duels since their time at Konoha, but even so, their eyes drank in the sight as if they were watching a professional sports match. Kakashi had more important things to worry about, but when it came to Gai’s match, he couldn’t help but find his eyes drawn to the green clad man as he eagerly approached the dueling area.

Gai practically vibrated with excitement, charging the air around him with happy nerves as he gleefully took his place opposite of his opponent, Tomo. Tomo, oddly enough, reminded Kakashi of Omongo Jumorro, his gigantic school counselor. Tomo was just as imposing and large, with a giant box like head and a neck whose thickness nearly quadrupled Kakashi’s own. If a boulder were to be reanimated into a human, it would look remarkably like the block of meat named Tomo. 

Seeing who Gai’s opponent was, Kakashi almost felt a flare of pity for him. Tomo practiced earth-like magic, and that, accompanied with the man’s obvious brute strength, meant Gai was in for a fearsome fight. 

Though, maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe Kakashi could finally see what sort of secret abilities Gai hid underneath that remarkable magic suppression. Was he actually S-Ranked? Was his power so profound that it would even intimidate Kakashi? There was only one way to tell. 

“Tomo Hashidaro!” Gai called out, his voice carrying throughout the extent of the arena and gardening an influx of attentive eyes, “Let us have a wonderful hot-blooded battle and demonstrate the full compass of our eternal youth together! May we provide as wonderful a spectacle of those who battled before us!” 

“Shut up, Might.” Tomo growled, cracking his knuckles as he took up a fighting stance. Gai mimicked the action, but his stance was rather...open. He stood straight, one hand behind his back as the other extended outward with his palm facing backwards. He looked excited, but calm, and his dark eyes gleamed with an unmistakable lust for battle. 

Kakashi, beyond curious and not bothering to disguise it, leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his chin propped against his interlocked fingers. His eyes narrowed, trying to detect even the slightest swell of hidden magic, but all he saw was Gai in his green jumpsuit along with those horrid orange leg warmers. 

Conano studied both men for a breath of a moment before he ordered, “And...begin!” 

“Rock Wall!” Tomo immediately slammed his hands onto the earth, not wasting any time as he sent a pulsing force of earth and rock hurtling towards Gai. The earth shifted and cracked, molding into a formidable, wall-like structure that approached Gai with deadly momentum. It was a powerful attack right off the back, which showed that Tomo meant serious business. Kakashi waited for a moment for Gai to do something,  _ anything _ , but he just stood there in that same, odd stance with a blinding smile on his face. 

_ Move, idiot _ ! He wanted to scream as the wall slammed into Gai. The force of it should’ve broken every bone in Gai’s body, and the entire arena shook from the impact. There was a chorus of shocked gasps from his class. They were all probably thinking the same thing as Kakashi: there was no way Gai was coming out of  _ that _ unscathed. No one  _ should _ be able to walk away from an attack like that without at least several broken bones and severely bruised limbs. Tomo’s attack was brutal at full strength and Gai...Gai took it head on like a fucking  _ moron _ . 

Tomo appeared as stunned as the rest of them. He must have expected Gai to move, probably part of his not-so-elaborate plan to push Gai into a position where Tomo could finish him off with a swift combo. However, now Tomo stood frozen in his spot, his expression one of morphed horror as he realized what he had done. 

The dust was beginning to settle, and at first, Kakashi only saw a pile of rubble and rock. Gai was more than likely buried underneath. He would need to be removed immediately so he didn’t suffer internal damage. Kakashi stood, ready to move and retrieve the wizard from his earthen coffin, but before he could even take a step to rush an help, the dust settled completely and remarkably,  _ too _ remarkably, Gai stood there unscathed save for the dirt that dimmed the colors of his obnoxious outfit. 

“What a great and powerful start Tomo! You really live up to your name as the Rock Monster of Acaron!” Gai was just standing there, smiling as if he wasn’t just pelted by twenty tons worth of force.

_ Fortifying Magic? _ Kakashi thought, but immediately shook his head. He would’ve sensed it. There wasn’t a magic alive he couldn’t detect if he searched hard enough to find it, but then...how was Gai still standing? It should’ve been impossible. Kakashi wouldn’t have been able to take that attack full on without feeling a bit battered afterwards. Kakashi was tough, but he wasn’t ‘go stand in front of a freight train and get smacked’ tough. He would have at least cast some defensive spells to lesson the impact. 

“How-How are you…” Tomo took a step back. His eyes were wide and disbelieving, as was the rest of the class. “How are you still  _ standing _ !” He demanded, his expression quickly morphing into one of anger. “There’s no way!” 

“Ha-ha!” Gai laughed, actually  _ laughed _ like this was just some...casual thing. 

Kakashi wracked his brain for answers. Anti-magic? No. Even anti-magic could be detected. This wasn’t magic, and as Kakashi settled on that single assertion, his eyes widened in realization. This wasn’t magic, because Gai resisted the attack with his body alone. 

“I’m tougher than I seem Tomo. You’re going to need to try harder than that to beat me.” Gai’s expression shifted, it was once warm and excited, but now he was self-assured, his grin falling from bright to challenging in an instant. “Come on, try me.” 

Tomo roared and slammed his fists to the ground again, sending three successive rock walls hurtling towards Gai. This time, Gai didn’t bother taking the full brunt of the attacks. He quickly sprinted to the left, dashing in a movement that Kakashi was able to follow, but others weren’t. 

_ He’s fast...and he’s not using acceleration magic either.  _ Kakashi watched, enraptured by Gai’s fighting style. In this moment, the green clad buffoon he met on several occasions was bathed in a new light. Suddenly, he saw Gai for what he was: a talented wizard. 

“Why isn’t he using any magic?” A witch girl to his left asked her friend. 

The other girl shrugged, “I don’t know, but do you think he can really win without using it?”

Kakashi almost wanted to remind the girls that there were no  _ winners _ . This was to display your strengths and weaknesses, nothing more, nothing less, and Gai was doing a fine job of demonstrating both. Gai’s physical endurance and strength was remarkable, but the obvious refusal to use magic made Kakashi think that Gai’s magical energy was naturally very low, or that it came with some sort of cost too great to use casually. It would be hard to beat Tomo with physical power alone, despite Gai’s being quite astonishing, but this was the point of these battles. They were  _ meant _ to struggle. They were meant to have to think and strategize and  _ endure _ . 

Gai managed to sneak behind Tomo, catching the larger man by surprise as Tomo raised his arms to block Gai’s powerful kick. Reinforcing his forearms with rock, Tomo skidded back several feet as the force of Gai’s kick cracked the earthen armor Tomo made for himself. The larger man was panting and Gai was sweating. It was a good battle, and a good test of each other’s strengths. Gai’s reaction times were almost incomprehensible, and Tomo’s manipulation of the earth could be considered elite. 

Kakashi hated to admit it, but he was enjoying himself. He felt the adrenaline of battle course through his veins, beckoning him with its familiar siren call. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this excited to watch a fight. He stopped enjoying castor duels long ago, when he realized most duels ended in blood and death, but this wasn’t the case. No, this was an art form. The way Gai broke through Tomo’s defenses, and the way Tomo responded with new, unique uses for his earth magic...it was exhilarating. 

“That’s enough.” Conano called out, effectively ending the battle before a clear winner could be identified. Gai paused mid punch, and immediately withdrew to a standing position. He was dirty and sweating, but there was that smile. It was one of satisfaction and pride for a job well done. 

“I have thoroughly enjoyed our fight, Tomo.” Gai bowed, his posture rigid and formal as he genuinely thanked the large wizard for the learning experience. 

Tomo seemed shocked, but his expression quickly morphed into one of returned admiration as he mimicked the bow with one of his own. 

“You surprised me, Might.” Tomo’s deep, baritone voices echoed into the stands, “I have learned a lot from our battle.” 

Gai chuckled and stood up, giving the earth wizard an enthusiastic thumbs up, “Next time we fight, I want to see how much you improved!” 

Tomo stared for a minute, but a small smile, one that was earnest in its sincerity, briefly alleviated that formidable scowl on his face, “You won’t stand a chance, Might.” 

“I’m betting on it.” 

Falan’s match was all burning blazes and hot fire fanning out like an uncontrollable inferno of heat and rage and  _ power _ . He was as temperamental in battle as he was in person, scorching the battle field and never tempering his attacks. He was fierce, but reckless. His weakness lay in the fact that his focus was to narrowed on attacking, and not on the things happening around him. His battling opponent, Jorg, possessed a shadow style magic similar to that of the Nara clan, though instead of using the shadows to trap his opponent, Jorg used it to remove his opponents senses. He blinded Falan with a cloud of shadow, and then moved to take away Falan’s hearing by thickening the shadow until it acted like a muffling blanket. Falan whipped his fire around with the ease of someone who was born to flames, lashing out at the darkness he could neither see nor feel. His power alone was enough to distill the shadows long enough for Falan to regain his senses, but before he charged at Jorg, Conano ended the fight with a simple dismissal. 

Falan left the dueling stand fuming, his magical energy licking and clawing around and up and down his body. Kakashi was almost tempted to spell up a pair of sunglasses when he looked at the flaming wizard. Of course, no one else could see Falan’s energy like Kakashi could. Maybe they could feel the vibrations of it in the air if they were particularly attuned, but without eyes like Kakashi’s, all the others saw were the destruction of Falan’s flames and the nasty temper he seemed to have. 

“Kakashi Hatake and Kara Vermillia, you’re next.” The Professor called up to them, and upon hearing his name, Kakashi rose from his seat and gave a long, lengthy stretch in which he cracked all the limbs in his body until they were loose and relaxed. Like a cat, or a very lazy dog. He sighed, feeling good and oddly excited about his fight. 

Must’ve been the remnant adrenaline from watching Gai and Tomo. 

“I almost feel bad for the new guy,” There were whispers all around him as he took to the steps leading down to the arena floor, “Going up against Kara in his first fight? That’s brutal. Not even the seventh years want to go up against her.” 

Kakashi acted like he was oblivious to the whispers, but many failed to notice how useful some of the information gossipers spilled without even realizing they were being overheard. Kakashi listened intently, but most of the information he knew from the profile Ibiki gave him. Kara Vermillia, she hailed from the notable Vermillia clan from Ideus, known for their sky magic abilities. She was the next in line to become the head of the clan after her father stepped down from the position, and because of this, Kara dual majored in both combat studies and magical diplomacy. 

Kakashi stepped out onto the arena floor, his strappy sandals, a gift from Kushina and Minato, shuffled across the concrete flooring as he took his position opposite of Kara. She stood tall and proud, as if it were obvious that she hailed from an old, prominent family. When she leveled Kakashi with her icy blue stare, it was neither menacing nor friendly. She meant business, and Kakashi was just another nameless face she would have to fight to earn her worth. 

“You know the rules.” Conano didn’t bother going into the details. “You’ll begin on my mark.” 

Kara took a defensive stance and Kakashi stayed where he was, hands shoved into his pockets as he watched the magic surrounding Kara begin to hum and solidify around her. She was gathering her magical energy, and in doing so she formed a protective, invisible armor around herself. Well, invisible to most. 

“Begin!” 

She didn’t waste a second as she charged at Kakashi in a stunning display of speed and grace. Wordlessly, she crafted a short sword infused with her sky magic, and in the other, she crafted a shield that matched the color of her eyes. The weapons crackled with tumultuous blue energy, as if a storm lived inside the weapons and was begging to be set free. She swung her sword at him in a powerful, downward sweep. Kakashi dodged by hopping backwards, but her sword emitted a crackling electrical pulse that pushed him farther back. His sandals skidded across the ground before he came to a stop. Kara didn’t pause in her assault and quickly bounded after him. Easily, Kakashi fell into a system of evasion, and tried to find any opportunity to slip the tracking spell through her barrier of magic. However, even with maintaining two weapons infused with her magic, Kara’s skill when stabilizing her magic barrier was phenomenal. There wasn’t a single waver in the blue, protective energy, even after she executed flawless, six step combos. 

Kakashi understood why the people in the stands had pitied him. She _was_ a fearsome fighter both physically and strategically. She was constantly trying to trick him into a corner, or entice him into one of the magic traps she cast across the dueling pad. She was making it incredibly difficult trying to find a chink in her armor while also evading her relentless and well timed attacks. 

“Why aren’t you fighting back?” Kara demanded and brought down her sword again. The swipe of her sword came just a bit too close for comfort as Kakashi planted his feet and dashed to the right. “Fight back!” 

She was agitated with this cat and mouse game, probably thinking him a coward for not lifting a hand against her. He wanted to fight, it was like an itch on the inside that begged to be scratched, but there were more important things than simply letting himself be lulled by the rhythm of battle. 

Kara knocked Kakashi from behind with her shield, sending him flying across the dueling pad. Mid-air, Kakashi corrected the flailing of his limbs and managed to land gracefully on his feet. Kara was furious with him. 

“There’s no point battling you if you will not fight back.” She spat. “If you will not counter my attacks, then I will respectfully request for this duel to be over.” She aimed this last bit towards their professor, who watched both participants with speculating eyes. Briefly, Conona’s gaze met Kakashi’s, and inside those depths Kakashi gleaned from them a scrutinizing suspicion. Conano knew he was holding back, that he was hiding something important. If Kakashi didn’t showcase something, and soon, Conano might be more than just a bit suspicious of him. 

This, coupled with Kara’s threat, forced Kakashi to quickly evaluate a new course of action. He couldn’t wait for her magic to falter on its own. It wouldn’t. Dodging her attacks was doing nothing to unhinge her. She was battle honed. A member of high magical society. She wouldn’t be susceptible to beginner mistakes such as letting her infallible magic control waver. 

In the meantime as Kakashi tried to formulate how to go about implementing his tracking spell, Kara sent him another withering glare, a brief warning before she charged at him again with greater speed than before. 

That’s when he felt it like a buzzing in the back of his mind. A dull hum, before it grew with increasing intensity, like a bee buzzing in circles around his head. It was one of his surveillance seals notifying him of an unrecognized magical signature not belonging to any of the students or faculty on this campus. Whoever the intruder was appeared to be using cloaking magic to wander the halls of the arena. The seals couldn’t see this individual, but they latched onto the signature of magic and pestered Kakashi with the alert. 

Distracted, Kakashi could only brace as he met one of Kara’s attacks full force. He felt something in his torso give, maybe a cracked rib, and coughed as pain bloomed in his chest. Before Kara could injure him worse, Kakashi quickly moved himself out of reach, and took a moment to calm the seals chiming inside his mind. 

_ Something is coming _ . They whispered.  _ Someone is watching.  _

Watching? Could it be possible that the abductors, whoever they were, were already scouting their targets? An evaluation such as this would be a prime opportunity to gauge every caster's power, and Kakashi wouldn’t put it past a criminal organization to send in an agent to spy on an arena in broad daylight. The cloaking magic was particularly advanced. The only reason his seals even registered the magic was due to their complex design. Kakashi was sure that at this point, he was the only one aware of the intruder. 

Kakashi also knew this was a grand opportunity. 

Removing his hand from where he cradled his rib cage, Kakashi stood up to full height, and arrogantly glared at the panting Kara. The pain hurt, but it was familiar enough that he didn’t really register it. Broken ribs, fractured bones...they were as common as paper cuts at this point in his career. It was nothing but an afterthought. 

“It’s funny, I’ve hardly struggled, but you look exhausted already.” His tone was dry and mocking, purposefully twisting in a way that was sure to crawl under the girl’s skin. 

“That’s because you haven’t even fought back!” 

“I haven’t fought back because I wanted to see what you were made of.” His confession stunned the woman momentarily as her battle stance faltered. “And let me tell you,” Kakashi continued, extending his right hand out where the first prickle of Kakashi’s magic began to focus and gather, building on top of itself, coming alive with structure and form until in his hand a greatsword made of pure lightning was casually gripped between his nimble fingers, “I’m not impressed.” 

Kara only had time to barely lift her shield up in defense before Kakashi was in front of her, bringing his sword down. Being a weapon of pure magical energy, his weapon was far more durable than the one Kara possessed. Kakashi was familiar with Kara’s form of fighting. More than familiar, actually. Her weapons, although man made, were infused with her magical energy which both reinforced the weapon and allowed the weapons to take on characteristics of magic wielding, allowing Kara to manipulate her magic not just through her own body, but through the weapons she wielded. While a powerful skill, it paled in comparison to the weapon Kakashi now wielded. It was the physical form of his magic embodied, alive and teaming with lightning that could burn through even the toughest of metals. While Kara’s sword was magic rooted into a tangible object, which tempered its overall power and made it easier to control. Kakashi’s sword was pure magic forced to take a physical shape, untampered and unrivaled in power. Her shield didn’t stand a chance as his blade shattered it completely into tiny, magic less shards. She let out a stunned cry and tried to counter with her sword, but Kakashi appeared behind her before she could do anything to protect herself. 

“H-How did you…?” 

Kara looked over her shoulder, frozen as Kakashi leaned down to whisper against her ear, “What are you going to do now, Lady Vermillia?”

He could feel her shaking, her mind was trying to work over how he moved so fast. The answer was simple, Kakashi used a form of teleportation magic. It differed from Minato’s in one very important way; whereas the chancellor envisioned his destination in his mind and used that as a focal point to teleport, Kakashi focused on magical signatures as his point of arrival. 

“You seem a little shocked.” Kakashi stepped away from Kara and motioned for her to craft her weapons again. “Come on, weren’t you complaining earlier about not getting any value out of our fight?” 

That seemed to be enough to spur the witch into action. She sneered, and quickly crafted weapons out of thin air, infusing her magic within them before surging forth. This time, instead of a shield and sword, she dual wielded double shorts swords, making her movements both faster and more precise. It was a valiant effort, but one that would ultimately fail. 

Easily, almost too easily, Kakashi changed the shape of his lightning sword into two matching blades, with one grasped in each palm. Magical energy flowed through the sharpened tips like a beacon, and he hoped, no, Kakashi  _ knew _ the cloaked intruder was watching. 

He met Kara’s attack with his own, and like before, her blades shattered under the ferocity of his magic. It pulsed like purple electricity, but was perfectly conformed to its shape. The amount of control and training it took to perfect a technique like this...Kakashi could see the realization set in Kara’s ice blue eyes. She was steadily beginning to realize she may have been outmatched. 

“Who are you?” She seethed, not bothering to craft another weapon, her own sky magic began to whip out from her body, trying to match Kakashi’s potency, but although her lightning and wind was frightening, it‘a pale blue color could not mimic the strange hues of purple and blues that pulsed through Kakashi’s weapons. 

Fuming, Kara asked, “Are you a sky wizard?” 

Kakashi shook his head kindly, “No.”, because he wasn’t. His lightning didn’t come from the sky. It didn’t shine down from the heavens, a gift of storm and heat. Instead, it was birthed from a much darker and forbidden place that he would not disclose. 

“Than who, or  _ what  _ are you?” During their battle, Kakashi wounded the blonde witch, and now blood leaked steadily from the cup of her shoulder. She paid it no mind, and instead glared with vehemence at the newcomer. 

She wanted to know, so Kakashi would tell her.

“I’m Kakashi Hatake.” He declared the name proudly, listening to it echo off the walls of the arena. The cloaked wizard would hear, and he would know from his name alone that Kakashi had enough power to ruin an entire city by himself, but just for good measure, Kakashi smirked as he continued, “And I’m an _SS-Ranked_ _Wizard_.” 


	7. Chapter Six: An Insistence Upon Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi deals with the celebrity status as an SS Ranked Wizard and his own feelings towards Gai that increase in complexity with each passing day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yee Yee Back at it Again. Still trying to scrounge time between work and this and work again and it's been a bit difficult. Sorry!

**_Chapter Six: An Insistence Upon Friendship!_ **

“I thought you were good at keeping a low profile.” Tsunade commented as she twirled a pen lazily between her fingers. The communication link they spoke through perfectly captured both Tsunade’s wary expression and her mildly accusing tone. Her brown eyes glimpsed at Kakashi momentarily, before casually flicking to rest on somewhere else. 

Kakashi watched her actions with a comfortable sense of familiarity. Tsunade being mildly disappointed whilst simultaneously partially amused? Kakashi could handle that. It was when Tsunade started caring or worrying or worse... _ sympathizing  _ that Kakashi usually felt himself clam up. 

“Usually.” Kakashi answered as leaned back in his chair, thoughtfully glaring up at the plain ceiling above him, “But I’m trying to paint myself as the ideal target.” 

“I’m sure Minato wasn’t thrilled by that idea.” Tsunade sighed and mimicked Kakashi’s actions. She dropped her pen, and moved to place her hands behind her head whilst slowly swiveling in her swivel chair. 

“It isn’t Minato’s mission.” Kakashi commented, but it lacked the usual bite it may have had otherwise. It was late, later than he should be awake, but Kakashi couldn’t sleep. His pack of familiars went back to their realm shortly after Kakashi arrived home, despite Pakkun offering to stay longer if needed. After they left, the silence of the apartment weighed on Kakashi like a consistent press of barely stifling pressure and although he felt exhausted, his mind refused to rest. 

So he called Tsunade, who he knew would also be kept up well into the night for various reasons. 

“Did you use Lightning Blade?” 

“And teleportation.” Kakashi added, and Tsunade lifted her brows in mock surprise. 

“Wow,” she drawled lazily, “Someone wanted to show off, huh?” 

Kakashi smirked into the dark of his room and let out an amused sigh, “The girl I fought, Kara Vermillia, she was decently powerful. With a bit of fine tuning, she should make a good clan head.”

“Vermillia? From Ideus?” Kakashi nodded, and Tsunade chickened, “You couldn’t have chosen a worse opponent to embarrass. Vermillia’s aren’t known to let a grudge go.” 

Shrugging, Kakashi spun around in his own chair, both immensely bored and content talking to the Director. On any other day, he would avoid Tsunade, but sometimes,  _ rarely _ , she was pleasant to be around. She understood a lot of Kakashi’s hang ups, and never expected anything more than Kakashi gave. In many ways, they were similar: both emotionally closed off and stuck doing a job they didn’t want to do. 

“She’ll learn from the battle, and she’ll get stronger.” 

“Did you really have to pull out the SS-Ranked wizard card? I mean, jeesh, talk about making a spectacle.” Tsunade’s tone was admonishing, but her eyes twinkled with mischievous amusement. It was no secret amongst Tsunade’s confidants that she rather enjoyed drama and sometimes found Kakashi’s unintentionally savage moments amusing at the least. Underneath the Director persona, Tsunade was the worst of the worst when it came to ethics and morals. She didn’t have any qualms about getting up to nefarious shenanigans, whether it was gambling away her entire fortune and drinking the bars out of their inventory. 

“It was part of the mission!” Kakashi justified with a chuckle, but Tsunade was equally as skeptical as she was entertained. 

“Oh really?” 

“Really.” 

Tsunade rolled her eyes, but it was born out of familiar exasperation rather than insult. 

They were silent for a moment, but it was comfortable. Years of being acquainted, as well as a year working closely together made it easy for the two of them to relax around one another. Also, Minato would have a hissy fit if they weren’t nice to each other. He often moaned and complained if they ever argued, and always begged for them to ‘make up’ despite them being both adults and having already moved beyond the issue. 

A moment of silence passed comfortingly before Tsunade asked, “How does it feel being back at school then? You’re attending one of the finest magical schools in the world.” 

Kakashi thought for a moment before answering, “It’s just another mission. I’m not there to learn, but the facilities are nice. Better than anything I encountered at Stoneworth, that’s for sure.”

“You know, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to enjoy yourself, even just a little.” Tsunade offered in that curiously indifferent tone of hers she used only when she was dancing around an issue she knew would offend Kakashi in some way or another. 

“Too much of a hassle.” Kakashi grunted eyeing the older woman in a way that was wary of where this topic of conversation may or may not be going. 

It was always good to be on guard whenever Tsunade Sarutobi involved herself in one’s personal affairs. 

Luckily, Tsunade recognized a dangerous conversation in the making and moved on to dismiss it, “Well, if you refuse to have any fun, at least give me some of the dirty details. Is there any eye candy?” 

“Tsunade, you’re like, thirty years older than everyone attending the academy.” Kakashi couldn’t hide the slight disgust in his voice when he imagined a pervy Tsunade trying to feel up the hot hunks of Konoha Academy. 

He shuddered, ew.

“What’d you say you little brat?” 

“I said you’re old.” 

Tsunade looked like she was about to erupt, but she reigned in her anger and glared petulantly at the silver haired wizard, “Just tell me if there’s any cute boys. Or girls. I’m not opposed.” She lamented, and it was amazing to think that she was an SS-Ranked Witch that was both feared and revered throughout the world. 

“I don’t know about cute,” because Kakashi wasn’t really an expert on the matter and when he looked at individuals, he didn’t gauge them by their attractiveness or lack thereof. However, there was a crazy and ridiculous thought that chimed in the back of his mind. He wanted to dismiss it almost as soon as he thought it, but, well, it may not be the definition of cute, but there was someone Kakashi thought was rather...eye catching. 

Frowning, Kakashi lips slowly formed around his next words, as if saying them might give them some strange finality that he could never take back, “But there is one that looks...interesting.” His words were slow and curious, like he wasn’t even sure of what he was saying, and for a moment Kakashi let the words hang in the air like some infallible truth he wanted to ignore. 

Shaking his head, Kakashi quickly dismissed his ludicrous feelings and chuckled, “Who knows, he might even be your type.” 

“Oh?” Tsunade perked up, suddenly keenly interested, “Details.” 

“He wears orange leg warmers.” Kakashi explained easily, forgetting his earlier hesitance, “And a skin tight green tracksuit.” 

“Skin tight? I can dig it. The leg warmers though, that’s a little odd.” 

Laughing louder this time, Kakashi continued, “And he has these wildly large eyebrows.” To demonstrate what he meant, Kakashi placed his two index fingers over his brow and wiggled them threateningly, “And this out of date bowl cut.” 

“Bowl cut?” Tsunade giggled, trying to imagine the image Kakashi drew up for her, “Who even is this guy? He sounds lovely.”

Lovely wasn't the word Kakashi would use. Overenthustiac. Animated. A bundle of too much good, pure energy who spoke a little too much about youth and passion. 

“His name is Gai Might.” Kakashi wasn’t paying enough attention to Tsunade to see the humor bleed from Tsunade’s pale cheeks. He was too busy suddenly being drawn back into his earlier sensations about Gai. 

On a first impression, he was ridiculous, and that thought really hadn’t left Kakashi’s opinion about him. Gai  _ was _ ridiculous. He was always passionately declaring things and asserting his presence like the boom of a firework. His eyes sparkled with far too much joy to be trustworthy, yet there was nothing about his demeanor that gave off the impression that he was anything  _ but _ sincere. He was an eyesore, but not in the sense that he was unappealing to look at, but that there was  _ so much _ to take in. Gai may not have exuded magic, but his personality was bright enough to make Kakashi want to put some shades on and look away. 

“Did you say Might?” Tsunade’s voice was oddly quiet, if even the slightest bit sad. It caught Kakashi completely off guard as the previous, easy going atmosphere lay suddenly forgotten. 

He straightened, his gaze settling on Tsunade’s torn expression. Her eyes were heavy, and she drew her bottom lip between her teeth as if trying to stave off some weird, emotional reaction. 

“What about it? Do you recognize the name?” 

“I…” Tsunade began, but shook her head, the loose, blonde strands of her hair falling to frame her youthful face. “It’s just been a long time since I heard that name.” 

Kakashi knew not to press, but he wanted to. He was more curious than he should be, especially about a student he really shouldn’t pay so much attention to, but the way Tsunade’s eyes gleamed with sadness, and the way Gai’s smile stretched wide and brilliant across his cheeks, Kakashi found himself really,  _ really _ wanting to know more. 

However, he dutifully sat in silence. 

“It’s getting late.” Tsunade declared softly, “I should go, and you should really get some sleep. You’re too young to be staying up so late. You’ll get wrinkles.”

Both of them knew Kakashi was too young for a lot of things he had done in his life, but that never stopped him, and that never stopped his superiors from making him do it in the first place. 

“You’re not going to tell me what you know about Gai, are you?”

Tsunade winced, but tried to hide it by bringing her hands in front of her, “Is he well, at least?” She asked, not changing the subject, but not answering Kakashi’s question either. “Is he being taken care of?”

“I don’t know. I’ve only spoken with him a handful of times.” 

That didn’t seem to reassure Tsunade, but she would have to be content with the knowledge that Gai was attending Konoha Academy, so he must be doing well enough for himself if he was enrolled at such a prestigious school. 

Kakashi wasn’t here to make his Director feel better, but nevertheless, he found himself adding, “He smiles a lot though. He seems happy, if I had to guess.” 

Though Tsunade didn’t appear satisfied, her lips softened from a worried frown upon hearing Kakashi’s assessment. 

“Good. He’s like his father, then.” 

_ Gai’s father _ ...vaguely, Kakashi remembered those two idiots at orientation talking about Gai’s father, saying he had died a hero, but didn’t deserve the title. A weird, foreign emotion filled Kakashi at the thought. He didn’t know how to feel all the sudden, and that made him both awkward and mad. He hated not understanding his own thoughts and hated more the sensation of  _ feeling _ . It was weird, and made him queasy, like he just ate soured food and now his body was retaliating. 

“Do me a favor, Kakashi?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Keep an eye on Gai for me.” 

Kakashi took a moment to respond, but he nodded. It’s not like he could refuse and order from his Director, anyway. 

“I really should be going then.” Tsunade sighed, glancing at her watch that showed the hour far too late to be healthy. “If Shizune knew I was up this late again, she’d have my head.”

“ _ Both _ our heads.” Kakashi corrected, and it was enough to bring about a fond smile on the elder woman’s lips. 

“Well, good night Black Dog.” 

“Good night, Director.” The image of Tsunade disappeared as the communication link between them ended, and Kakashi was thrown into silence and darkness once more. He was half tempted to summon his familiars, but didn’t want to disturb them if they were asleep simply because he felt lonely. Pakkun wouldn’t mind, but he would demand a rare steak in return for his troubles. No, he wouldn’t call upon his familiars despite them being perfectly okay with it. He was alone for most of his life, he could handle being alone for tonight. 

Instead of laying down in bed and trying to force himself to sleep, Kakashi snuck up to the red shingled roof of his apartment complex and reclined so that he was gazing up at the night sky. The stars littered the heavens in the wake of a new moon, scattered and clustered as if they were splattered white paint across a midnight blue canvas. Konoha City didn’t have much of a night life, especially at this dim hour, so Kakashi lazed back and traced the many constellations with his pale, nimble finger in blessed silence. His actions required little thought, so naturally, Kakashi’s mind wandered to the earlier topic of Gai. 

There was no purchase to his thoughts. He did not heavily weigh his observations of the other or make an in depth, detailed assessment of Gai’s possible loyalties. Instead, Kakashi simply pondered Gai’s face, idly imagining the chiseled lines of his jaw and the prominence of his cheeks. Objectively, Kakashi could suppose that beneath the ridiculous outfit and boisterous personality, Gai  _ could _ be considered attractive. Not that Kakashi really spent his time deciding what was and what wasn’t attractive, but if he were forced to give his opinion, for some outlandish life or death reason, he would determine that yes, Gai was attractive, but not in the way that one would walk by a stranger and think, ‘Hey, they look nice.’ 

Kakashi didn’t put much stock in physical appearance. He’d never seen someone and been so enraptured by their beauty that he lost all sense of himself. It just wasn't who he was. Even as a small child, when Kakashi was bed ridden with shyness and knew little about the world around him, Kakashi didn’t look at a face, or an outfit, or a particular hair style to make his judgement on a character. No, his attention was always on the small details of the other's personality. He liked to watch for the small ticks when someone was nervous or the flush of pink cheeks when embarrassed. He scrutinized the fleeting eye contact, the half-way there smiles that were an attempt to mean more than what was actually felt. As a child, Kakashi was incredibly perceptive, a trait his father, Sakumo, quickly picked up on. Kakashi was always questioning the way of things, and could put two and two together fairly easily. He wasn’t the type of kid you told ridiculous, far fetched stories to satisfy his taste for knowledge. No, Sakumo never bothered with that tactic. He told Kakashi the truth, the honest to god, horrible truths to the things Kakashi wanted to know, and from this truth seeking, from this analysis of the world around him, Kakashi came to realize that a person’s physical appeal did nothing to indicate their intentions. 

It’s why he never paid attention to looks or beauty. It was why, when he said Gai  _ could _ be attractive, he meant in a manner that disregarded looks as part of the equation. 

In his mind, an image of Gai’s smile, so real, so brilliant, so  _ genuine _ appeared to him. In this image, Gai’s dark eyes twinkled with merriment and an immense love that he held for the world around him. Whereas Kakashi was nothing but a meat sack of cynical pessimism, Gai was the embodiment of optimistic idealism. Though their interactions were brief and numbered, Kakashi could read Gai as easily as he read his porn books. The man did nothing to conceal his emotions or thoughts, he proudly displayed them for the whole world to see as if it were a wonderful, natural thing to  _ feel _ . 

It was...admirable, despite being annoying. It took courage to face this world with the alacrity and perseverance Gai faced it with, because even Kakashi, the famed Black Dog of the CTU, was  _ terrified _ of letting even the smallest hint of his true emotions show. He already warred with himself enough about it as it stood, but to display those vulnerabilities so openly, to give the world a glimpse of Kakashi’s innermost private thoughts? 

No, thank you. 

So yeah, Gai was attractive in that he was braver than most, or more honest than everyone Kakashi’s ever met, including Minato. Gai didn’t look like the type who would bother to keep secrets from those closest to him. He’d probably say something along the lines of,  _ Secrecy only tarnishes the purity of eternal youth _ , or some other, ridiculous shit along those lines. Gai was predictable in an unpredictable way, in that it was easy to determine where Gai’s mind was, but not with how Gai was going to express his next fervent emotion. 

Oddly, Kakashi found himself chuckling. After Kakashi’s fight with Kara, Gai strode through the bleachers, boldly declaring Kakashi as the most worthy rival to have ever existed. No one really humored Gai’s antics, but that didn’t stop the green suited wizard from hurtling praise and applause towards Kakashi for putting on an unmatched display of power and poise. It was ridiculous, as all things were when it came to Gai, but Kakashi wasn’t necessarily repulsed. Sure, it was  _ overwhelming _ , but from a perfectly objective standpoint, he could see how someone might find Gai amusing or even fun. 

Kakashi wasn’t that someone, though. At least he couldn’t be, not when there were moves already being made against the elite students of the Academy. When he returned home to his apartment earlier, Kakashi scoured through the stored recollections of his surveillance seals, trying to see if they caught a glimpse of the observer. Unsurprisingly, the intruder disguised themselves well. If it weren’t for the particular sensitivity of his surveillance seals, Kakashi wouldn’t have known that the enemy was there. 

It was a troubling thought. The school’s semester only just began, and already this unknown entity was planning and perfecting their future attacks. As of now, they were one step ahead of Kakashi, with the CTU trailing because of the overall lack of intelligence. Still, there was a silver lining. These guys were good, but they weren’t  _ perfect _ , and they would slip up in the nearby future. Until then, Kakashi would have to bide his time and wait for the next hand to be played. He would do all he could to protect the other students, but it was a large feat, even for him. 

It was only when the sun began to bathe Konoha in its first rays of sunlight and warmth that kakashi realized he might have fucked up by pulling an all nighter. Luckily, Tsunade or Pakkun weren’t here to bitch at him. It wasn’t the first time he pulled an all nighter. Hell, there was even a time when the only reason he fell asleep was because his body physically couldn’t handle the strain of being awake any more. Still, Kakashi should have forced himself to get some semblance of rest, even if it was poor and constantly disrupted by his insomnia. The morning was going to be a rough one, especially as he remembered he had team evaluations today. 

He groaned, and forced himself to crawl back down from the roof and to the balcony of his apartment. The burn in his eyes reaffirmed the status of his body’s exhaustion, but his mind was already working on remedies to alleviate the fatigue in his limbs. Coffee was definitely in order, and maybe a cool, refreshing shower beforehand. 

It would still be a rough morning, but Kakashi would get through it like he always did. 

  
  


“ _ It’s the SS-Ranked Wizard _ .” 

Kakashi wasn’t expecting to be the center of attention when he arrived at the Academy this morning, and he certainly wasn’t expecting the expressions of awe on the younger years’ faces, or the ones of jealousy on those who were a bit older. Kakashi figured word must’ve spread rapidly after his performance against Kara, which was why he was currently standing at the front gate of Konoha with a small group of 1st through 4th years asking how he became so powerful. 

It was embarrassing. 

“ _ You’re so cool! _ ” One 2nd year girl squealed with teenage giddiness. Her and her friend were squished to the front of the growing crowd, and bombarding Kakashi with both praise and questions. 

“ _ How did you become so strong?” _

_ “What other powers do you have?” _

_ “Who was your teacher?” _

_ “Where are you from?” _

_ “Did you do any special, super secret training? _ ” 

“Woah...calm down.” Kakashi brought his hands up in a gesture that was meant to settle the young students. “Shouldn’t you be getting to your classes?”

“An SS-Ranked wizard is much cooler than our stupid classes!” A third year boy towards the back yelled out, followed by a chorus of agreeing cheers, “You must be as strong as the Chancellor!” 

_ Hardly.  _ Kakashi thought to himself, but refrained from saying so out loud. 

“I think you kiddos have the wrong impression of me.” Kakashi didn’t really know how to handle kids, as was evident by the way he slightly panicked when they swarmed him this morning. Kids were just so...brutal. Kakashi remembered one time in particular when he was forced to hold Naruto (Kushina said he needed practice), the mischievous little fuck tried pulling down Kakashi’s mask, and when Kakashi didn’t let him, he threw up on the CTU Agent’s new training shirt and cried for his mother when Kakashi told him to stop throwing a temper tantrum. Minato thought it was hilarious, but he also wasn’t the one covered in the contents of Naruto’s stomach. 

Now, Kakashi was being accosted by a different kind of child.  _ Teenagers _ . 

“So we heard you can make a blade out of purple and blue lightning! Can we see it? Can we?” A hyperactive first year with too-large glasses and a mass of freckles tugged in the sleeve of Kakashi’s shirt. How he got so close without the CTU Agent noticing was an enigma in and of itself. 

“It’s dangerous.” 

“So cool!” The students cheered. “Show it to us!”

“Someone could get hurt.” Kakashi emphasized, but that only seemed to fuel their fire. They were like a mass of rats, clambering on top of one another to claim their favorite food. Kakashi was more than overwhelmed and he prayed that someone,  _ anyone _ , could get him out of this trap. 

“ _ Rival _ !” A voice boomed through the courtyard, and Kakashi never thought he’d be so relieved upon hearing that stupid nickname. 

“Gai.” If Kakashi could manage to sound thankful, he might have done it in this moment. He didn’t show near as much relief as he felt when Gai swooped up to the swarming pit of teenagers, but Gai didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. 

“It seems you are quite popular, Kakashi!” Gai beamed as he managed to shift through the sea of child castors. “I would expect nothing less from my eternal rival.” 

“I’m not your rival, Gai.” Kakashi sighed, but he was still thankful for the appearance of the other, so he wouldn’t press the issue much. “Think you could lend me a hand?” 

Kakashi motioned to the students still demanding he show them his abilities, and it was beginning to wear on Kakashi’s already thin patience when it came to social situations. Whereas Gai seemed to thrive in the light of attention, Kakashi wanted nothing to do with it. 

“You should feel honored to be admired by the next generations.” Gai scolded gently, but he seemed to take pity on the silver haired wizard as he turned to brave the students, “Now my young wizards and witches, while I understand your infatuation with my rival, you should not sacrifice your education. My rival is cool, I know this, but Konoha Academy is the greatest school to have ever existed. You should give her more respect!” 

There were varied protests, something about, ‘well I don’t see Konoha Academy having a Lightning Blade, do you?’, and ‘Konoha Academy isn’t an SS-Ranked Wizard’, but after some more lecturing and pestering on Gai’s part, the students scattered to their respective classrooms with the promise of possibly ambushing Kakashi in the afternoon. 

Kakashi watched them go, exhaling a heavy breath of relief. 

“I don’t know how you did it. I thought they were going to eat me alive.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a bunch of kids?” Gai glanced over at Kakashi with wide eyes of endearment and chuckled. “My rival is better than that.” 

“It’s a good thing I’m  _ not _ your rival then.” Kakashi retaliated, but it lacked any of the bite necessary to get his point across. “Anyway, thank you. I wasn’t expecting to be greeted by a fan club this morning.” 

Gai laughed heartily as if Kakashi was a natural comedian, “What did you expect, Kakashi? You are the first SS-Ranked wizard to attend the Academy in four years.”

Kakashi’s brows raised, “Surely there’ve been others?” 

Gai shrugged, “I’ve only known two since my time here at Konoha. The last one, Adamain Castile, graduated four years ago and returned to Wynsor. He was truly a talented and honorable wizard, but there haven’t been any since.” 

“I didn’t think they would be so rare.” Kakashi surmised. Sure, SS-Ranked wizards weren’t easy to come by, but a school like Konoha should have boasted greater numbers than this. 

With a shrug, Gai explained, “The other nations don’t like sending their SS-Ranked overseas anymore.” For a thoughtful moment Gai pursed his lips as he mused, “Something about keeping their strongest castors to themselves instead of sharing their youthful talents with the world.” 

Of course. While there was greater unity between the core nations, they were still mistrustful, and allowing castors to attend other nation’s schools meant that it was a chance to gauge a nation’s military might. Of course the core nations would want to keep their greatest weapons a secret. 

“I don’t know. I’m not really into politics.” Gai said, and Kakashi didn’t doubt that. Gai probably found the idea of politics as suffocating to one’s youth due to all the lying and scheming that usually occurred. 

“What are you into then, Gai?” Kakashi found himself asking before he could stop. They were walking towards the combat arena and falling into step as naturally as one would breathe. Kakashi didn’t even realize they were walking until he had to pause momentarily when their path crossed with someone else’s. It was an odd feeling being joined by another and not feeling immediately repulsed or stressed by the idea. Gai didn’t think it was odd. He was strolling along, brightly greeting those he passed and sending Kakashi occasional award winning smiles.

Where were some sunglasses when you needed them?

“To better myself in the pursuit of youth, of course!” He replied as if the answer were obvious, and Kakashi almost felt stupid for not automatically knowing Gai’s daily pursuits. Even if the pursuit of youth was a vague and questionable idea that shouldn’t have been as intriguing as it was. 

Suddenly feeling ridiculous for having extended the conversation on longer than necessary, Kakashi quieted and attempted to take out his book to read. 

However, before he could delve into the sinful plot line, Gai’s cautious, curious voice brought Kakashi to a sudden halt, “Do you not like me, Kakashi?” 

It was a question that blindsided the silver haired wizard, who prided himself on being someone not easily taken by surprise. He blanched, his feet pausing midstep, and his grey eyes searching Gai’s for any hint that the question was a joke. 

By the darkening tint of seriousness in those blackened irises this was not, in fact, a joke. 

Kakashi sputtered, “I’m sorry?” 

“Do you not like me?” Gai took on a pensive demeanor, his lips curling into a firm frown while his brows puzzled quizzically. He seemed genuinely curious, and all the more expectant of Kakashi’s answer. 

Feeling put on the spot, the CTU agent found himself not knowing how to respond.

Gai wondering about Kakashi’s opinion of him was as bizarre as it was sudden. What kind of bizarre question was that? 

Hesitant, and still feeling out on the spot, Kakashi carefully shut his book with one hand whilst simultaneously peering at Gai like the wizard had suddenly grown a second head, “Where is this coming from?”

Smart move. Answer a question with a question. That would give Kakashi some time to get his thoughts shuffled into order before he suffered a mild stroke. 

The expression on Gai’s face was, for the first time, completely unreadable. It shouldn’t have been startling, everyone was capable of having secrets after all, but on Gai the expression was nothing short of disturbing. Ridiculously, Kakashi had to bite back an urge to assuage whatever insecurity provoked Gai into asking such a random question. Luckily, he wasn’t a man without mastery over the show of his emotions, so even if he felt completely unhinged by the serious draw of Gai’s mouth, at least he didn’t show it. 

“I want you to like me.” The way Gai uttered such a confession made it sound like he was unsure he was even speaking this aloud, which made Kakashi feel all the more unsubtle by the underlying depth to the words. There must have been some hidden meaning to the brazen comment, but for the life of him Kakashi couldn’t think past the way Gai’s lips moved when they formed words. 

The air between them was suddenly so thick with tension Kakashi found it difficult to breathe. Gai was just  _ standing  _ there, looking like...like Kakashi’s opinion of him  _ mattered _ . Which was stupid. Kakashi was nothing more than a strange acquaintance, just a brief blip on Gai’s radar. What Kakashi thought or felt should not have mattered in any sort of way to Gai, but those eyes...Those dark eyes, those full lips, that careful frown was alarming to Kakashi in a way that had him taking a step back. 

The movement was enough to dispel whatever weird spell had befallen them. In the next instant, Gai’s face broke out into a broad smile that could have rivaled the sun in brightness, “Even if you don’t like me, I’ll just have to work extra hard until you do!” 

Kakashi blinked, still not knowing what to say, let alone what to do. 

Luckily, Gai didn’t seem to expect an actual answer from Kakashi as a calloused hand came to rub at the back of Gai’s head, rumpling the meticulously combed bowl cut as he laughed dismissively, “Sometimes I don’t really know how to stop myself from saying or asking what’s on my mind. You’ll have to forgive me.” 

Thinking he was out of the woods (or at least hoping this conversation was over) Kakashi forced out a fake, dry laugh that sounded more terrified than anything. 

_ I want you to like me. _ Kakashi didn’t really  _ like _ anything besides his familiars, but other things? Other people? Kakashi never really associated the words ‘like’ and ‘other human beings’ in the same sentence before, especially when it came to how he felt about them. There was a time, maybe, when Kakashi was more green and less harrowed by tragedy that he might’ve been open to the idea of genuinely liking people, but those days, if they ever existed, died the day he lost sight in his left eye. 

Gai didn’t appear at all bothered by Kakashi’s failure to answer the question. The green clad wizard simply continued on the path to class, idly chatting about the day and the things he was excited to learn. Kakashi didn’t bother trying to take out his book again, he was too busy staring at Gai with a hopelessly lost sort of look. Did Gai really mean to ask Kakashi that, or was it a result of the other’s lack of brain to mouth filter? He dropped the topic far too easily, but it felt like he did it more out of concern for Kakashi’s sanity than satisfying his own curiosity. Then there was that expression...that intensity between them that was, frankly, stifling. Boggled and feeling like he was wearing his shoes backwards, Kakashi tried to fight the memory away. He tried to dismiss it as some odd occurrence, but the moment played on repeat in his mind over and over. 

Like a broken record. 

“Look at that! We’ve arrived right on time!” Gai glanced over his shoulder to give Kakashi an encouraging thumbs up and a sparkling smile. Kakashi managed to assume an air of impassivity, but his insides were clenching in something resembling nerves. He was nervous? Around Gai? Preposterous. 

And yet his stomach quivered like that of a deer racing down the point of an arrow. 

“Come on rival. We don’t want to be late!” Kakashi wouldn’t mind being late if it meant distancing himself from Gai, but he suppressed the urge to run away and hide and followed Gai inside the building. By the time they entered the classroom, they were the last two to arrive. Kakashi hastened to his seat in the back, thankful that it was on the opposite end of the room furthest from Gai. 

_ Do you not like me, Kakashi? _

“Good morning, students!” Professor Conano slammed his briefcase down on his desk, startling Kakashi from his reverie, and focused his muted green eyes on his sea of pupils. 

He lingered for a second longer on Kakashi, his expression plain and unremarkable before he began to discuss today’s agenda. 

“Today we will conduct team evaluation skills. If you did not have a chance to look at the roster I posted on the bulletin board, you will have an opportunity after we leave for the dueling arena.”

Despite his internal turmoil, Kakashi managed to pay attention to the Professor enough that he wasn’t at a total loss on what to do when the other students stood to leave the classroom. Some strode over to the bulletin board before joining their respective teammates. 

Kakashi didn’t even need to take a look at who he was paired with, because an overly excited Gai came bumbling over with a loud, “We’re on the same team, Rival!”

Kakashi groaned and buried his head in his hands. He didn’t have near enough sleep to deal with this today. 

“ _ Great _ .” He responded with a distinct lack of cheer. Gai, obviously, was unphased. Kakashi sighed, “Who is our third member-“

“I am.” Falan approached the two of them, interrupting Kakashi before he could finish his question. He looked about just as thrilled as Kakashi to be there. 

“Welcome, Falan!” Gai greeted loudly, extending his hand in a friendly gesture for Falan to take. The fire wizard ignored the offering to turn his orange glare upon Kakashi instead. 

“Don’t think that just because you’re SS-Ranked means you’re better than the rest of us.” His words were vicious and menacing, brimming with all the accumulated attitude Kakashi had seen from the wizard thus far. 

Mildly appreciative of a distraction, Kakashi daringly lifted a brow before uttering, “Oh? And whose is I thought that?” 

Falan sniffed, haughty and superior, “I can just tell.” Just as quickly as Falan appeared, he must have decided Kakashi wasn’t worth his time. He quickly spun on his heels and stomped away, leaving a flurry of fiery embers in his wake. 

Kakashi supposed they were expected to follow. 

He subsequently rolled his eyes. 

“He doesn’t seem excited to work with us, huh Gai?” Kakashi pointed out in a drawling manner, not really expecting an answer to his rhetorical answer. 

Nevertheless, Gai answered. 

“Don’t worry Kakashi,” Gai took the silver haired wizard by surprise as he placed a heavy hand on the thinner man’s shoulders. “I’ll be excited enough for the two of you combined! And then some.” 

It was at this moment Kakashi looked towards Gai, only to find the other smiling reassuringly. It should have been weird to feel Gai’s hands on him, and in a way it was, but there was a part of Kakashi that remembered Tsunade and how sad she was hearing about Gai, and he felt that maybe he shouldn’t have been too hasty to judge the green suited wizard. Maybe there was more to Gai than Kakashi saw. Maybe they were both the same, but in entirely different ways. 

Kakashi didn’t have to remove Gai’s hand because the other dropped it just as quickly as he put it there, but he was openly inviting Kakashi to walk with him, maybe because they were teammates, or because Gai really did want Kakashi to like him. He shouldn’t be nice. He had a mission to do. He would never see Gai again after it was over. There was really no point to this at all. 

_ I want you to like me.  _

Kakashi followed Gai’s lead out of the classroom and listened to him babble on about the importance of teamwork and how inspiring it was to see teams come together and support one another. He was happy. Which was something Kakashi wasn't, and he lived in the light where Kakashi notably did not. It’d be foolish of Kakashi to even consider Gai as anything more than a pest of an acquaintance, but Tsunade’s words haunted him, as well as the sadness in her eyes,  _ “Keep an eye on him, would you?” _

“Are you listening, rival?” Gai checked in, making sure Kakashi was as thoroughly engrossed in Gai’s recounting of the greatest castor teams throughout all of history.

“Hm? Oh yeah. Totally.” 

_ Do you like me? _

Gai’s smile positively blinded Kakashi and filled him with some sort of weird, foreign warmth. 

_ I don’t know _ . He could’ve answered.  _ Maybe one day I could _ .

But he obviously, out of self preservation mostly and with absolute certainty,  _ should not _ and  _ would not _ ever see Gai as more than a weird, green-spandex wearing weirdo. He couldn’t. The risk was too great to himself, and to Gai. 

Yet, oddly enough, the image of Gai’s smile stuck with him for the rest of the day. 


	8. Update!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is just an update on my status!!

Hello everybody! I know it’s been a really long time! Unfortunately I’m in the middle of transitioning between jobs so my schedule has been extremely hectic and unpredictable. Because of that I haven’t been able to write/edit at all. I will try to as soon as I can, but please be patient with me! I appreciate all the love and support I’ve gotten so far. Thank you :)


	9. Chapter Seven: Working as a Team!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi learns more about Gai then he could have ever predicted. Meanwhile, Kakashi, Gai, and Falan face off in team evaluations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said it would take awhile to update, but I managed to edit a few more chapters.

**_Chapter Seven: Working as a Team!_ **

Falan waited impatiently for Gai and Kakashi to arrive. He was red in the face and scowling, and his flaming hair singed with the heat of his temperamental magic. Kakashi didn’t know whether the castor was on the verge of simultaneous combustion or if he was always as red as a tomato. 

“Why are you dawdling?” Falan hissed. “Don’t you know how bad it looks to be the last two to arrive in class and to  _ team evaluations  _ as well?”

“Greetings!” Gai cheerfully replied, unbothered by the fowl glare he received from the flaming wizard, “I’m sorry if we offended you, teammate. It shall not happen again!” 

Gai’s cheer was met with a decided eye roll of exasperation. Falan then looked to Kakashi, in a silent demand for the CTU agent’s apology as well. 

In turn, Falan was met with the steel of Kakashi’s eyes as he pointedly asked, “Why does it look bad if Gai and I arrive together?” Kakashi’s tone was lazy, and gave off the impression that he really didn’t care what Falan thought, but there was an insinuation in his words that reddened Falan’s already pink cheeks. 

Blazing eyes flashed with the intent to incinerate Kakashi where he stood. Fire sparked on Falan’s fingertips and danced with anticipation. It was clear to Kakashi that the other was unusually hostile, even if Kakashi didn’t exactly rub people the right way when he met them. It seemed that no matter what Kakashi did, the flaming wizard interpreted everything as an insult. The CTU agent would have found this amusing if it weren’t so annoying. Kakashi didn’t have the time nor patience to handle the tantrums over an overgrown fire gremlin, and he also didn’t deserve the onslaught of attitude from the other. 

However, despite his own internal misgivings, Kakashi remained entirely unphased in the wake of Falan’s temper.

This, as Kakashi half expected, only further served Falan’s ridiculously unjustified rage, “You  _ know _ what people will think.” Falan sneered, sparing the clueless Gai a quick glance as he hatefully determined, “If you’re seen constantly being late with  _ him _ .”

“I actually don’t know what people will think.” Kakashi countered, “That’s why I asked. So tell me, what’s the issue? You seem to be assuming something that I’m just not understanding.” Kakashi did understand. Falan’s insinuations were clear enough, and Kakashi wouldn’t be a good agent if he hadn’t picked up on the fact that Gai may or may not be a social pariah, or that he might be looped into the same category if he was seen around the spandex-wearing geek a lot. 

Falan pursed his lips, seemingly squirming at the thought of having to explain in depth what he meant by his words. Eventually, his frustrations and general dislike for Kakashi won out as he spat, “Just-Just forget it.” Falan spun away and hastened towards his seat, leaving burning embers to trail after him. Absently, Kakashi blew at one that landed on his nose, trying to keep from smirking at Falan’s retreating back. 

Gai appeared incredibly confused beside him, glancing back and forth between Kakashi and Falan with an expression that portrayed his overall lack of understanding at what just occurred. 

Kakashi almost wanted to take pity on the clueless Gai, but the silver haired wizard didn’t have the heart to explain that, even though Falan despised Kakashi (for whatever reason), seeing Kakashi with the unbearable Gai was just so much  _ worse _ . It wasn’t hard for Kakashi to determine that Gai was considered an embarrassing social taboo amongst the rest of the student body. There were those students that thought themselves better than Gai, and then the masses who didn’t want the same social label Gai carried around on his back. 

In a way, Kakashi could understand why Gai was seemingly avoided by those around him. Gai’s refusal to do outright magic was strange enough, especially because they attended a magic school, and then there were the more superficial aspects, like Gais odd appearance or equally odd personality. In addition to this, Gai lacked a notable family name. If the Mights were a clan, they were an incredibly obscure one. The lack of a famous family name accompanied by Gai’s combined oddities forged the green wizard’s path as a social pariah within his own year. Kakashi was sure that Gai wasn’t so obtuse that he couldn’t recognize that he was shunned by the very people he called his peers. Gai was...eccentric, but Kakashi didn’t think he was an outright idiot. Even still, Gai greeted anyone and everyone with a friendly smile on his face--Kakshi could acknowledge that there was strength inside of that sort of kindness. 

After Falan’s abrupt and stormy departure, Gai’s somewhat baffled expression shifted, and a careful frown tugged at the corner of his lips. In a severe tone uncharacteristic of Gai’s usual brightness, the other determined, “I think you are right, rival.” Furrowed brows zeroed on Falan sitting a couple of feet away from them. Gai’s dark eyes were puzzled in a mix of annoyance and concern as he continued, “I think our teammate’s attitude might prove difficult to handle during the evaluations.”

Trying not to show his surprise at Gai’s declaration, Kakashi couldn’t help but wholeheartedly agree. It was easy, in the wake of Gai’s exuberant personality, to forget that he was enrolled in the same combat course as Kakashi, and that he would possess a similarly tactical mindset as the CTU agent. Sure, Gai was still merely a student and not nearly as experienced in live combat as Kakashi, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of identifying weaknesses and risks in an upcoming battle. Truth be told, Kakashi’s mind was thinking of anything except the evaluations. They didn’t mean much to him in the grand scheme of things, even if they did provide Kakashi an opportunity to show off. Luckily, Gai’s remark reminded the agent that he was supposed to look impressive in these battles, and he couldn’t do that if Falan failed to compartmentalize his personal feelings and the task at hand. Reasonably, Kakashi assumed working as a cohesive unit might be asking and expecting too much from the flame wizard. 

Frowning, Kakashi offered his two cents by saying,“He’ll learn quickly how to prevent his feelings from affecting the mission.” His hands burrowed in his pockets, Kakashi continued, “If not, he won’t make it very far in a real combat situation.” 

At this, Gai tore his gaze away from their disgruntled teammate and turned to regard Kakashi unreadably. The expression in his eyes was quick, and gone before Kakashi could assess it, but there was a flicker of suspicion in that dark stare before it was blinked away. 

Instead, Gai settled by asking, “Have you been in real combat, rival?” He sounded nonchalant, like he didn’t care much about Kakashi’s answer, but Kakashi was familiar enough with tones and mannerisms to sense when a question meant more than how it was construed. 

Shaking his head, Kakashi denied, “No, but my childhood mentor used to stress that the team and the mission came before anything else. Personal feelings have no place on the battlefield.” It wasn’t a complete deflection of Gai’s seemingly innocent inquiry. Afterall, teamwork was one of Minato’s core teachings back when Kakashi still had a team to work with. 

After he answered, Kakashi thought Gai might let the conversation drop, but instead the other surprised the silver haired castor by confessing, “My dad was my teacher.” 

“Your dad?” 

With his confession, Gai’s expression took on a more wistful and far off tone, as if he were considering a collection of distant memories: not yet forgotten, but never to be lived through again. The solemn draw to Gai’s pinched expression shouldn’t have been so distressing to see, but upon witnessing the frowning tilt to the other’s lips, Kakashi nearly reached out to offer some form of comfort. The urge passed as soon as it came, but it left Kakashi feeling slightly discombobulated by the idea of wanting to comfort anyone, let alone someone he barely knew. 

There was a long, drawn out moment where Kakashi thought Gai wouldn’t answer, but just as suddenly as Gai was consumed in his grim reveries, his eyes brightened, and in a proud voice he declared, “He was the embodiment of youth! A great wizard! He taught me all I know about training and honing your body to withstand even the most powerful of magical attacks!” 

Trying to disguise his intrigue, but seeing an opportunity when it presented itself, Kakashi asked, “So is that how you survived Tomo’s attack yesterday? You used...just your body?” 

“So you  _ were _ watching me, rival.” Gai smirked, puffing out his chest and looking all too pleased at the knowledge--all earlier sadness completely forgotten. 

At the self satisfied smirk that etched itself onto Gai’s full lips, Kakashi had to stifle the urge to to make a biting retort, or even worse, return the grin with one of his own. 

“But to answer your question, yes. I did not use any form of magic, just the magic that is my youthful body!” Gai struck a pose, one that flexed his muscles beneath the clinging fabric of his tracksuit. He was as equally ridiculous as he was mildly impressive. He certainly possessed a greater amount of muscle mass than Kakashi, who’s nimble, lean frame could blend in with a pole if he stood still long enough. 

“Can you use magic?” 

At Kakashi’s question, Gai stilled his ludicrous flexing, “What?” 

“Can you use magic?” Kakashi pressed, ignoring the not-so-adorable confused tilt of Gai’s head. In his mind, Kakashi reaffirmed the idea that Gai did  _ not _ look like a cutely clueless puppy. 

“What makes you think I can’t, Kakashi?” Like before, there was a shine of suspicion in Gai’s dark eyes, burning with more awareness than Kakashi expected from an average student. It was peculiar. Most of the time, people failed to read deeper into Kakashi’s questions, figuring it was the other just being a strangely curious person, but Gai didn’t seem to fall into those faulty assumptions. His skepticism was almost impressive, if it wasn’t indicative of Gai being more knowing than he let on.

However, despite knowing he may or may not be encroaching on dangerous territory, Kakashi couldn’t deny the open challenge that underlyed Gai’s question. There were two things Gai could be challenging him on. He could simply be daring Kakashi to a match to test out Gai’s abilities for himself, or, and more frighteningly, he could be challenging Kakashi to reveal how he knew Gai wasn’t using any magic--or how he came to the conclusion that Gai might not have magic in the first place. An irrational part of Kakashi almost wanted to rise up to the challenge that Gai offered, but that would be playing into the other’s hand whilst simultaneously revealing his own. Kakashi may have underestimated Gai several times up until this moment, but by the gleam in those dark brown eyes, Kakashi knew he shouldn’t from here on out. There was a possibility that Gai was hiding something, and that he was possibly capable of hiding something from  _ Kakashi _ . Gai may have acted and played the part of the fool, but in the cool, calculating way Gai eyed him, Kakashi knew that Gai was anything  _ except _ the idiot everyone made him out to be. 

It was at this moment Kakashi realized Gai might be more of a problem than he originally expected. Even so, Kakashi was smart in his own right. Brilliant, actually, so with a disarmingly charming smile, Kakashi explained, “I just think, for the purpose of the evaluations, I should know what you can or can’t do.” The air of indifference Kakashi tried to achieve didn’t have the desired effect, because Gai’s gaze was still  _ knowing _ , like he was somehow clued in to Kakashi. Strangely enough, Kakashi didn’t get the sense that Gai was a threat, at least not in the way that the other might stab him in the back as soon as he turned around, but there was definitely  _ something _ . 

Matching Kakashi’s expression of friendly ease, Gai played along to Kakashi’s little scheme by asking, “What kind of rival would I be if I made it that easy for you?” 

Was there a hidden meaning behind that statement? Was Gai alluding to something other than his magical capabilities? 

Feeling like he was running circles inside his head, Kakashi countered, “Shouldn’t rivals know each other better than they know themselves?” Having never thought that he would be locked in a word game with Gai, Kakashi wasn’t exactly prepared to see the enticing flash of mischief that crossed the green wizard’s face. 

“Then what’s your secret, Kakashi?” 

Kakashi scowled. 

“I have none.” He lied, hoping it was believable. It hung on the air between them, an obvious lie, an obvious deflection. Gai wouldn’t believe him more than Kakashi wouldn’t believe that Gai wasn’t hiding something also. Right now, Gai had two options: he could call Kakashi out on his bullshit and they both could put an end to this charade, or Gai could let the subject drop to be ignored until a later date. 

Thankfully, Gai knew when and when not to press his luck. He let the subject drop, easily moving on to blather about senseless nonsense. It was an unspoken olive branch, one that Kakashi didn’t think he would ever be accepting from Gai. It was obvious in the way that Gai feigned complete normalcy that Gai was more than he let on, and was more than Kakashi originally pegged him as. Reading people was usually one of Kakashi’s forte, and it should terrify the CTU agent that he might have pegged Gai wrong from the start. Assuming the other was just another face in the crowd was obviously a mistake on Kakashi’s part, because as their previous interaction showed, there was more to the name Gai Might than just being an exuberant weirdo. 

Kakashi had a feeling...there was something blatantly familiar in the way Gai danced around outright accusing Kakashi of something. It was just how Kakashi would have handled the situation in Gai’s shoes--exactly how Kakashi was  _ trained _ to handle those he suspected of hiding a secret. 

However, the CTU agent couldn’t put further thought into his forming conclusions as Gai said, “We should join our comrade, rival. I don’t want to invoke anymore of his wrath.” 

Kakashi agreed, and followed Gai to a pair of seats next to Falan. Their class had the arena to themselves for the next two and a half hours in order to conduct their team evaluations. Each match would be approximately thirty minutes, or until Professor Conano said otherwise. The rules were simple. Each team would have a flag, or an objective to protect, and whichever team snagged the opponents flag first, won-or until the other team was incapable of continuing. 

“Remember, the goal of these battles is to test your individual ability to work with a team. You must assess each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and work to overcome the obstacle as a unit. As specialists in combat oriented magic, you will likely join various security forces around the world. 9 times out of 10, you’ll be assigned to a team, even for something as simple as patrolling. I cannot stress enough how important teamwork is.” 

At least, in the grand scheme of things, Conano knew what he was talking about. Kakashi knew better than anyone how one depended on a team when deployed in the field. A team became your extended arms and legs, they were your lifeline and the only people you could trust. Once upon a time, Kakashi had a team of his very own. They bickered a lot, and didn’t really get along all that well, but through the years and under Minato’s firm, yet understanding guidance, they became one. Until they weren’t. Until Kakashi felt as if he lost everything, and it was all his fault. 

“The first to battle are Team 1 and Team 5.” Conano announced and the castors assigned to the respective teams stood up and began filing down to the ground floor. Kakashi didn’t bother watching the match. Instead, he took a moment to glance around the arena for anything out of place. He was sure his surveillance seals would pick up anything out of the ordinary, but there was no harm in checking for himself. Besides the bleachers that his classmates occupied, there was no one else in the stadium. Kakashi stayed on alert, however, and constantly monitored not only his immediate surroundings, but his seals as well. 

The stadium shook with the sudden influx of magic as the match began. Team 5 was taking a more cautious approach, opting to feel out the other team as well as their own abilities. Team 1 did the opposite. As soon as Professor Conano gave the all clear, two members from team 1 shot forward with exhilarating speed while their third member guarded the flag in the rear. Both teams were relatively evenly matched and the leaders of each became largely apparent as the battle progressed. There was an earth based witch on team 5, and she altered the terrain of the stadium floor to create a maze like system. It was a clever tactic, one that gave her teammates an opportunity to regroup before launching a counterattack. However, the molecular manipulation wizard on team 1 used a dispersion technique on the concrete walls to blow holes right through them. This allowed his teammate, another wizard who adapted the various traits of magical creatures, to burst straight through the walls and attack team 5. It went back and forth like this for a few more minutes. Neither team was the clear victor over the other, and the battle rapidly degraded into the same pattern of defend, attack, and defend. 

Boredly, Kakashi watched, if only because he couldn’t ascertain any threats nearby. In his mind, he nitpicked various techniques and critiqued the battle formations taken up by each team. In terms of battle power, Team 1 outclassed Team 5, but team 5 were more in sync with the other’s abilities and habits. Down the road, if Team 5 could hone their individual abilities to perform better in combat situations, they wouldn’t struggle so much against a power heavy, but inelegant opponent like Team 1. 

It was several more minutes later when an itch in the back of Kakashi’s mind began to irritate him. Kakashi felt his stomach twist in recognition, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling with anticipation. Through years of honing his reactions, Kakashi kept himself from instinctively looking around the arena. Instead, he kept his eyes firmly on the battle before him. 

However, his thoughts were far away from the back and forth battle occurring before him. His seals were alerting him to another use of the cloaking magic from the same unregistered intruder as yesterday. Whoever the intruder was, they were creeping through the corridors that lined the stadium, and were only recognizable by the extremely faint magical signature they left behind. 

“Where are you going, rival? Our match could be next.” Gai asked as soon as Kakashi rose from his seat. His steady brown eyes watched Kakashi curiously, the suspicion from earlier all but gone.

“To the bathroom. I’ll be back in time.” 

From what his seals were telling him, the intruder was in the southwest corridor near the opposite end of the arena. Kakashi didn’t plan to confront them--that would give away his hand far too early in the game. So, Kakashi did as he told Gai, he went to the bathroom, but only so that he could summon Pakkun. Within seconds, there was a small pug on the white tiled floor of the bathroom, looking largely disgruntled and cute in his little blue vest. 

“Hey, Kakashi.” Pakkun greeted with a mock salute and a tired yawn. He must’ve been taking a nap. “What do you need?” 

“There’s an unwelcome guest inside of the arena using cloaking magic to disguise themselves. I want you to see if you can pick up their trail and follow them if they leave.” 

Unlike other dog-type familiars, Pakkun didn’t strictly use scent as a means to track someone. Like Kakashi, Pakkun was particularly attuned to magical signatures, and could detect even the faintest residue of magic. He was far more capable than Kakashi when it came to detecting leftover magical signatures--mainly because he had both eyes working in his favor. Kakashi’s good eye was sharp and there wasn’t much that Kakashi wouldn’t be able to see, but compared to Pakkun, his eye could pick up only so many details. Pakkun was the best tracker on the team, and didn’t mind bragging about this little fact every once in a while. 

“Sounds easy enough.” Pakkun stretched and shook the sleep from his limbs. “Where are they now?” 

“I’m linking you to my seals. I won’t be able to monitor them with you linked instead, but I trust you to let me know if anything goes wrong.” Kakashi instructed, taking a moment to adjust Pakkun’s blue vest--as it was tiltied slightly to the left. 

“Of course boss.” Pakkun agreed. He took his job far too seriously sometimes, but Kakashi was grateful for that habit at times like these. It meant he could depend on the little pug to get things done and not have to make himself sick with worry. Still, Kakashi couldn't help but remember what happened to Uhei, so the CTU agent crouched until he was almost eye level with the small familiar. 

“If you think there might be trouble, get out. Don’t let yourself be seen or heard. Stay in the shadows, and don’t try to be a hero, got it?” 

It wasn’t the first time Pakkun was faced with this lecture. Especially after Uhei was so devastatingly injured on one of the missions Kakashi asked them to go on. Still, the little pug knew this was just Kakashi’s way of inadvertently telling Pakkun to ‘be careful’, so with a serious nod, the pug promised he would remain vigilant. 

“Okay. I’m transferring the link to you now.” 

Usually, spell link transfers were incredibly difficult between castros, as it required the original castor to rearrange the spell sequence to match that of the receiving castor, but because Pakkun was magically linked to Kakashi already, it was an easy matter to switch the spell ownership. 

At the noticeable loss of the magical drainage maintaining the seals required, Kakashi made sure to give Pakkun another thorough once over, just to assure himself that the familiar wasn’t feeling any effects of magical fatigue. 

When everything checked out, Pakkun gave a little shake, a mock salute and then a bidding farewell, “Right, I’m on it boss.” Pakkun was gone before Kakashi could even return the goodbye. He felt a burn of worry in his heart, but knew that Pakkun was incredibly intelligent and scrappy when it came to a fight. He would be okay, and he would make it back safely to Kakashi at the end of it. 

Forcing himself to walk away and let his familiar handle it, Kakashi returned to his seat next to Gai. During his time away, the first battle ended, with team 5 as the victor. 

“Team 3 and Team 7, you’re up.” 

Team 3 consisted of Kakashi, Gai, and Falan. Team 7 consisted of Kara Vermillia, and two A-Ranked wizards named Soren and Asta. Kakashi watched the two wizards fight yesterday, and whatever the two lacked in brute magical energy, they made up for in strategy and intelligence. They were both incredibly smart, and coupled with Kara’s strength and desire to beat Kakashi, this team wouldn’t be a simple walk in the park to defeat. 

“You won’t win so easily today, Hatake.” Kara warned as she brushed past him on her way down to the ground floor. “I’ll show you the true strength and power of a  _ noble  _ clan.”

“Okay.” Kakashi answered simply, which seemed to only enrage the blonde princess further. She flung her head dramatically in a clear dismissal, blonde hair, tied high and tight in a ponytail, whipping him in the face as she stalked away. Kakashi watched her go, vaguely amused, but confused as to why so many people appeared to dislike him.

He couldn’t really be so unlikable? Could he? 

“I see you have made quite an impression on Lady Vermillia!” Gai teased from behind him, having witnessed the brief interaction. His smile was all teasing delight as he continued, “Only my rival would be so good with the ladies.” 

Kakashi rolled his eyes as Gai laughed mirthfully. Falan was less than amused, only managing to sneer in disgust at the silver haired wizard before hurrying past them to the ground level.

_ Jeez. This guy really sticks to his guns, huh _ ? 

“Now, remember the rules. No lethal attacks are permitted. If you move out of bounds, you will be counted out and will no longer participate in the fight. Flying is permitted, but no more than 50 feet above the stadium floor. You will only receive one warning for any rules broken. After that, you will be ejected from the arena.” 

The lethal attack constraint did put a damper on some of Kakashi’s abilities. He would have to lower the power of his Lightning Blade considerably, which would make it less effective against Kara’s blades. Still, she would be forced to dull her own weapons when attacking him for the same reason. Kakashi understood exactly what Conano was doing. He was taking away each individual’s greatest attack, which would force them to rely on their teammates in order to win. It was a simple, yet cleverly effective strategy. 

“At this time, you will have two minutes to strategize with your team members before we begin.” 

Two minutes. That was plenty of time to come up with a decent plan of attack, but when Kakashi looked over at the silently fuming flaming wizard and the goofy green suited wizard idly glancing about the stadium floor, he quickly retracted that thought. 

“I will be on the attack.” Falan declared before Kakashi could even voice an opinion on the matter. “Might should stay as the defense and you...well just make sure you stay out of my way.”

“Did you miss the part where Professor Conano said this was a ‘team evaluation’?” Kakashi pointed out, his eyes narrowed in annoyance at the arrogant wizard. “We fight and we win as a team. That  _ also _ means we make decisions as a team.” 

“What do you know about it?” Falan growled viciously, and as usual, his fire became apparent both in his eyes and his hair. Was there ever a moment the other wizard wasn’t breathing his flames for the world to see?

“I apparently know a considerable more amount than you.” 

“Are you saying I’m stupid-”

“This probably isn’t the best time to argue, friends.” Gai interrupted just as Falan’s fire magic sparked dangerously in retaliation for Kakashi’s insinuated insult. At this point, Kakashi was half tempted to let the flame wizard lash out, if only because he itched to put that obnoxious brat in his place. Under the circumstances, however, Kakashi kept his spite in check. 

Gai, in his rare stroke of being the sane one in a given group, stepped between the two wizards and erected some much needed space, “Though the delivery could use a little work, it’s a sound plan. With your fire magic, Falan, and your Lightning Blade, Kakashi, you two will be unstoppable, and if one of them breaks through you both, they won’t have a chance against me.” 

Backing down, Kakashi sighed, “Who knew you were so smart, Gai?” 

“Is that a compliment from you, rival! This is a great day indeed!” Gai cheered and although he appeared pleased by his ability to mitigate what was sure to be a hot blooded battle, he still remained rooted in place, acting as a human barrier between the tetchy wizards. 

“It was my plan in the first place, idiot.” Falan spat. He crossed his arms in a show of his superiority, and even though he was shorter than both Gai  _ and  _ Kakashi, he managed to look down his nose at the both of him. 

Kakashi rolled his eyes, “No,  _ your _ plan was to try to do everything yourself. We need to work together. Our opponents are smart. They’re sure to have something up their sleeve, and the two A-Ranked are familiar with each other. They’re bound to have some combination attacks.” 

Falan clearly wanted to disagree, just on the principle that he wanted to refute everything Kakashi said, but he didn’t. 

How remarkable. 

After considering his prospects to himself, and glancing at the opposing team huddled conspiratorially together, Falan ended up grumbling, “We should target Kara, first.” He wasn’t looking at either of them, but at least he was behaving moderately better. Kakashi would take that as a win, for now. “She’s the weapon to their brains. They’ll employ her to take either me or you down first.” Falan motioned to Kakashi. “They’ll underestimate Gai, because he didn’t use any magic yesterday. We can use that to our advantage.” 

Kakashi raised a brow in surprise. So maybe the kid wasn’t  _ just  _ a bad tempered hot head after all. This could actually,  _ maybe _ , work. 

Kakashi would keep his fingers crossed.

“Against Kara, your fire magic will be more potent. The limit of lethal spells makes my sword just another average tool on the battlefield, but it’s a good counter against the one who uses a water type magic.” Soren, Kakashi thought. He used some water attacks yesterday in his fight, but Kakashi suspected it wasn’t his primary magic. That meant that he used a compatible magic type as his specialization. However, there were over a hundred magics that were compatible with the water element, so that was a distinct disadvantage going into the match. Afterall, knowledge was synonymous with power. Or at least, synonymous with the ability to win.

“And I’ll just keep an eye for any stragglers, or if you two need support.” Gai interjected seriously, deciding not to tailor his hopeful enthusiasm to his words. “The third guy, Asta…”

“He uses psychic magic, it’s similar to hypnosis or mind control, but he needs to touch you first in order to do it.” Kakashi explained, and Gai nodded. 

The green wizard appeared in thought for a moment, as if he was trying to visualize the battle that lay before them, “They’ll use him to get the flag, probably. If his magic is activated by physical touch, I’m his most likely target.” 

Kakashi agreed, but he didn’t bother to say anything else. Gai knew what he needed to do, and he knew what type of opponent he would face. It was the same with Falan and himself. They had a plan, and though there was still obvious, clashing conflict between Falan and Kakashi, they would still support each other until the match was over. 

“Thirty seconds!” Conano yelled out in warning. Kakashi glanced over at the other team. They still had their heads bent low together, brainstorming their plan of attack. 

Weirdly enough, Kakashi felt a spark of adrenaline ignite in his gut at the thought of the upcoming fight. It wasn’t near as potent as the feeling he experienced watching Gai fight yesterday, but it was there, burning and simmering away at his insides. Kakashi couldn’t remember the last time he was excited to fight. Somewhere between Stoneworth and ANBU, the idea of dueling lost its appeal. It was no longer something he did for fun, but something he did because it was expected of him, because if he didn’t, people would die, and he couldn’t let that happen. 

But this...this was different. No one had to die. Kakashi didn’t have to be the last one standing on the battlefield in order to win. No, this was good old fashion dueling at its finest. Just a couple of castors, showing off their skills and natural battle prowess. 

It excited him, and Kakashi thought he might have understood why Gai was always pumped up for his fights. 

“Teams get ready…” Professor Conano eyed the two teams with a tinge of scrutiny, “...begin!”

Kakashi and Falan took off at the starting sound, with Gai moving to take his position to guard their red flag. The arena was both extremely wide and long, which meant there was a considerable amount of space to maneuver. Unrestrictive movement would be their blessing in this battle, if only because it allowed Falan to unleash the full range of his fiery attacks, and Kakashi the space needed to corner his targets in a position he wanted them to go. 

“It looks like Kara is taking the left,” Kakashi yelled to Falan, “Switch me spots!” When they reached the middle of the arena, Kakashi and Falan crossed their paths and angled themselves towards their respective targets. Instantly, Kakashi felt the heat of Falan’s flame magic as he tossed a fireball between Kara and Soren, forcing a greater distance between them. Soren, the water wizard Kakashi scouted yesterday, skidded to the edge of the arena, trailing the wall with his focus zeroed in on Kakashi. 

As the two of them came together in a violent clash, Kakashi couldn’t help but challenge, “Alright, let’s see what you got.” 

Rippling waves of their respective magic surged throughout the arena, shaking it’s very foundations. Kakashi, with his Lightning Blade in its long sword style, swung downwards with a force that would have crippled even the strongest of men, but Soren rolled to the left on what appeared to be water skates. Water encased his feet, and glided against the surface like a hoverboard. In a blink, Kakashi teleported behind the water wizard, using his unique magical signature as a basis for his destination. 

Soren hardly seemed surprised by this maneuver. In response to Kakashi’s appearance, he detonated a water bomb in the wizard's face that was filled with hot steam. It wasn’t a powerful attack, but the spray of the salt water momentarily blinded Kakashi. In that moment, Soren landed a harsh kick to Kakashi’s abdomen. It stung, the pain flaring briefly before Kakashi countered by catching the wizard’s ankle. In a swift movement, Kakashi yanked Soren off balance and sent him flying into the arena wall. The other’s back slammed brutally against the concrete barrier, and the fortifying magic that held the arena together quivered at the force of the collision. 

As Soren slumped down from the wall, bloodied and panting, Kakashi prematurely thought that was the end of it. Most other A-Ranked castors would have bowed out respectively and taken the loss in order to prevent further injury. The silver haired wizard turned away, letting his good eye search for Falan. 

It was only at Gai’s frantic, “Kakashi, watch out!” That Kakashi reacted on instinct and dodged the sudden swell of magical force behind him. 

“What the hell?” He cursed as he leapt away, forging his Lightning Blade once more. The electricity hummed in his hand, less vibrant than before due to the lethal limitation, but it still pulsed with strength that would do some serious damage if one of his hits should land. 

“Did you think it would be over that quickly?” Soren hissed, tossing his glasses aside as he rose from the ground, his legs no longer shaking like before. “Did you think I would let you win so easily?” 

No one would have guessed that Soren had just been flung into the arena wall at the speed of a moving train if they hadn’t just seen it happen. He was perfectly clear of injury, the blood evaporated from his skin like it was never there to begin with. And what should have been several broken bones and a few bruised ribs were nothing more than a distant memory now. 

_ Regeneration Magic? _

“I won’t be bested!” Soren didn’t give Kakashi a moment to decipher what magic Soren was using as he propelled himself towards Kakashi, casting successive water bomb spells in order to create a smoke screen. When they burst, a heavy mist filled the air, blocking all visibility for several feet in every direction. The CTU agent was completely removed from his teammates. With his sense of direction removed, Kakashi remained rooted in place, knowing that if he ran blindly into the mist, he could be met with a variety of dormant curses.

Realizing the precarious nature of his situation, Kakashi tried to feel for magical signatures. He dissolved his Lightning Blade and instead ignited lightning to dance in a controlled pattern along his fingertips. The energy crackled various hues of blues and purples, scattering from his elbow to his palm and down to the edges of his fingers. Usually, this spell was considered an assasination spell type, as the furious lightning Kakashi controlled could cut through anything, including magical armor, but with his magic limited, the spell would act as a close hand to hand counter to Soren’s water magic. 

Within the mist, it was eerily silent, blocking both sound and light from the outside. The mist also seemed to scatter Soren’s magical energy, making it difficult to pinpoint the wizard’s location in the fog. So, Kakashi waited, the electricity in his hands crackling away in controlled ferocity. 

Kakashi was a patient man, but he didn’t have to wait long. Soren emerged from the mist above Kakashi’s head, and struck the CTU Agent with a spear made of ice. Kakashi dodged at the last second, following a line of movement parallel to the spear’s direction as he reached for Soren. The wizard, shocked by Kakashi’s ability to sidestep the attack, retracted his weapon, but it was a second too late as the lightning wizard grasped the base of the spear and sent a pulse of electricity bolting through the ice. It cracked and then shattered, sending dozens of little shards to pierce Kakashi’s skin. That didn’t matter, what mattered was grabbing Soren, and yanking them both out of the mist. 

They tumbled into a field of fire and the clang of metal swords. Kara and Falan were dueling it out with a ferocity that matched Falan’s flames and Kara’s domineering demeanor. Gai was still guarding the flag, but he was in a fight of his own against the wizard he couldn’t touch. 

“Your fight is against me, Hatake!” Soren broke free from Kakashi’s grip with another water bomb. Half expecting this maneuver, Kakashi used his lightning to scatter the water to harmlessly halo around his body without ever touching. 

“Yeah, I’m not so sure.” Kakashi took a moment to observe the battlefield. They weren’t losing, but they weren’t on the offensive either. Gai was holding his own, but Falan’s stamina gradually weened as Kara expertly wore him out. If Kakashi didn’t do something quickly, Falan would be out of the battle and they would be at a severe disadvantage. 

Without wasting another second, Kakashi narrowed his sights on Falan and teleported to the flame wizard’s side just as Falan repelled one of Kara’s brutal combinations. But only just barely. 

“What are you-“

“No time.” Kakashi said as he grabbed onto Falan and jumped them backwards until they were reunited with Gai in the rear. 

Before either of his teammates could ask what the hell Kakashi was doing, the lightning wizard moved his arms in a swirling, circular motion, electricity spewing from his hands to encase the trio and the flag in a barrier of impassable electric magic. 

“Wow.” Gai muttered, astonished at the twisting and vicious lightning that protected them from their opponents. 

In any other situation, Kakashi might have smirked beneath the cover of his mask at the awestruck gleam in Gai’s eyes, but now wasn’t the time. 

“I was in the middle of my fight you jackass!” Falan punched Kakashi in the arm, puffs of flame and smoke searing the black sleeves of Kakashi’s shirt. 

Kakashi swiped away the smoking embers and glared at the flame wizard, “You were losing.” 

“I was not-“

“It’s fine.” Kakashi cut him off, “We weren’t doing well as a team either. We thought we would fight better separated but that’s not the case.” 

Gai was watching Kakashi with calm, understanding eyes. He must’ve come to the same conclusion during his own battle. They weren’t stronger as separate entities fighting for the same cause, but as a singular unit intent on conquering their enemy. 

Falan quieted, but his magic, as untamable as always, furiously lashed out all around him. 

Kakashi could use that to his advantage. 

“You’re wanting to do battle combinations,.” Gai acknowledged, his hand coming to grasp at his chin thoughtfully. “I thought you said you didn’t have live combat experience.”

“I  _ don’t _ .” Kakashi lied again, but it was obvious Gai hardly believed him. Kakashi was too calm, too aware of the battlefield to not have been in some type of fight before. 

The fact that Gai was able to surmise this simply by observing the way Kakashi thought and fought should’ve given Kakashi an inclination of Gai’s own combat experience, but he was too preoccupied to care. His electric barrier used quite a bit of magic to maintain, and Kara was sure to find a way to get through it any moment now. 

“Battle combinations?” Falan asked, not following the conversation. “Are you talking about the ones taught in class?”

“No.” Both Gai and Kakashi shook their heads at the same time, their eyes locking. That’s when Kakashi knew, an affirmation in his gut when he looked into those dark, black eyes. Gai and Kakashi were more alike than he originally thought, and it was a strange fact to consider. 

Gai gave him a nod, one that said ‘yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking’, and that was enough for Kakashi. At least for now. 

“Listen closely,” Kakashi leaned towards the middle of the trio, his head bent conspiratorially, “This is the game plan…”

“Are you done hiding like a bunch of witless cowards?” Kara called from across the arena after Kakashi dispersed his barrier with a mere thought and a wave of his hands. 

Kakashi could feel Falan itch from beside him, a retort burning like blue flame on his tongue, but Kakashi steadied him with a touch. 

“Reign in your magic.” 

Falan scoffed, “You don’t tell me what to do,” but he listened anyway. His magic calmed with each steadying breath he took. Falan’s endless pit of magic no longer thrashed and hissed from beside Kakashi; instead, it simmered on a low boil, waiting for Falan to turn up the heat again. 

“Everyone ready?” Kakashi asked, his muscles tensing as the opposing team readied themselves to resume their match. 

Professor Conano watched plainly from the sidelines, his eyes giving away neither his pleasure or displeasure at the way they fought. 

The signal was to wait for Kara to charge first, and as expected, the sky witch called upon her dual wielding swords, weather and sky magic infusing itself into the silvery blue of her blades. 

“Gai, now!” Kakashi commanded, and without a moment of hesitation, Gai grasped Falan by the torso and chucked him across the arena like a ball thrown through the air. 

Falan had complained profusely at this part of the plan, “ _ I will not be tossed through the air like a child’s toy! _ ” But there he was, a beacon of flame and light, crashing through the air like a fiery meteor. 

“All right!” Gai beamed, as if it were a casual thing to be able to toss a teammate halfway across a stadium. 

There was a momentary look of shock on Kara’s face, but she didn’t hesitate to leap into the air and meet Falan with a gust of wind against his flames. 

“You’re up Kakashi.” Gai grinned, and after a second of waiting for Falan’s fire to meet with Kara’s sky, Kakashi zeroed in on their magical signatures and teleported himself. 

He landed mid air on Falan’s shoulders, and blocked Kara’s swords just as she cut through Falan’s smoke and flames. 

“Don’t lose, Hatake.” Falan warned before Kakashi used his strength to stop Falan mid flight and send him hurtling to the ground with his legs pressed to the middle of Falan’s back. With Falan hurtling towards the ground, Kakashi used the extra boost of the flame wizard’s back to launch himself over Kara and land a well placed kick to her back. 

As Falan fell, he used flames from his hands to slow his descent, and then as a boost just before he met the earth to change his direction and send him dashing across the arena floor towards Soren. The water wizard barely had time to erect a defense before Falan was scorching him with the wrath of his magic. 

“A diversion.” Kara spat as she wiped a trail of blood from her mouth. “So I see you’re going to fight as a team, then?” 

Kakashi smirked as he landed softly on the ground in front of her, “Isn’t that the point of these evaluations?” 

Kara couldn’t respond, because before she could, Gai came screaming from behind her, a mixture of speed and a burst of glory, and used her body as a launching pad to leap over both Kara and Kakashi in order to aid Falan in his battle against Soren. His strength was amazing. The power in his legs alone was enough force Kara back to the ground with a screech of rage and pain. In the air, Gai looked far too regal and like he was enjoying himself just a bit too much. He landed directly behind Falan in time for the flame wizard to roll to the side and for Gai to land a bone crunching punch on Soren. The water wizard gasped, his jaw cracking beneath the power of the hit, and before he could regenerate, Gai spun with a kick to Soren’s side, sending him tumbling over the arena’s guard wall and effectively out of bounds. 

Kakashi felt a surge of satisfaction as he witnessed Soren’s body flailing out of bounds alongside Gai’s ensuing victory cry.

Smiling to himself, Kakashi regarded the sky witch with a smug sort of superiority as she lay in the cracked foundation of the stadium floor, “I would love to stay and chat, Lady Vermilla, but I have a battle to win.” 

After teleporting to Falan’s side, Kakashi greeted him with a simple, “Just one left.” 

It was Asta, the mind influencing wizard. He was guarding the flag now, and with both his teammates down, he looked positively frightened by the idea of facing the odds of three to one. 

“Gai, you should let us handle this one.” Kakashi tossed the command over his shoulder. “Make sure Vermillia doesn’t get back up.” 

Gai nodded, “Right.” And he was off again, moving faster than somebody who didn’t use magic should. 

Now, it was Falan and Kakashi squaring up against the wizard. Asta wasn’t trembling, but the apparent apprehension in his brown eyes told Kakashi all he needed to know about their opponent. 

“Did you know electric and fire based magic are compatible with one another?” Kakashi posed thoughtfully to his orange haired companion. 

The fire wizard scoffed, but there was a smirk playing on the corners of his lips, “Don’t think we’ll be friends after this, Hatake. I still don’t like you.” 

Beneath the cover of his navy blue mask, Kakashi grinned, “Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Without further adieu, the two began their combination attack on the mind wizard. Falan created a thick cloud of black smoke to cover Kakashi’s movements, allowing for the CTU agent to strike Asta with his Lightning Blade. The mind wizard yelled out, the bones in his arm cracking from where he tried to block the hit. Asta hissed in pain, but in an attempt to stop Kakashi, he reached out with his other hand in hopes of trapping the CTU agent with his mind control abilities. The touch never reached the silver haired wizard because a whip made of flames and scorched magma shot out from the smoke and seized Asta by the wrist. 

Kakashi watched Asta’s eyes widen in realization, his defeat woefully imminent.

That passion to fight and the knowledge of knowing that victory was a mere second away, led Kakashi to admit triumphantly, “I’m sorry, but you’re not going to win today.” 

Falan pulled on his whip, yanking the mind wizard several dozen feet into the air. He was suspended in a weightless fall for a few moments, eyes wide and frightened, before he tumbled back towards the earth. Kakashi waited with his Lightning Blade at the bottom and when Asta was close, he jammed the weapon into the wizard’s stomach like he was swinging a bat to ball. The mind wizard crumpled over Kakashi’s Lightning Blade, folding unconsciously over it upon impact, and with that, Team 2 stood victorious. 

“I guess that means team 2 wins.” Professor Conano announced from the stands, and once the smoke and dust cleared from the battlefield, Kakashi could see all the damage they had caused in the wake of their fight. Cracked earth, crumbled rock from the arena wall, unconscious bodies splayed across the field. It was a mess, one Kakashi didn’t expect to make, but in the midst of the mess, Gai and Falan were high fiving, satisfied with their win. 

Kakashi, surprisingly enough, found himself smiling too. 

“Just as a forewarning, if  _ one _ of you ever tosses me in the air like that again, I will burn you to ash.” 

Gai laughed, his voice echoing off the stadium walls, “I look forward to it, friend!” 

Falan rolled his eyes, but didn’t dispute Gai’s proclamation. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe Falan was finally dropping that horrible holier than thou attitude. 

“And you, Hatake!” The flaming wizard whirled on Kakashi as the CTU agent approached the duo, his fingers alight with burning fire as he pointed directly at the silver haired wizard 

“Me?” Kakashi posed, startled at being the center attention, “What did I do?” 

Falan scowled, but it lacked the distinct hatred it held before, “You…You’re not half bad.” 

The admittance was casual, but Falan shifted uncomfortably when he said it. Leave it to the flaming wizard to look so abhorred by the thought of giving someone half a compliment. 

“But don’t let that go to your head! You’re still a lazy, pornographic reading bastard!” 

Kakashi chuckled at Falan’s accusations and could only agree, “It was a pleasure working with you, Falan.” 

Falan nodded, and without a word he walked away, leaving Gai and Kakashi to linger alone on the battlefield for a moment longer. 

“Hmm...I guess that turned out better than I expected.” Kakashi sighed, shoving his hands deep into his filthy pants. He yawned tiredly, “I’m exhausted now.” 

He shut his eyes, waiting for Gai to say something along the lines of ‘but our well fought and hard earned win should only fill you with youthful energy, rival!’, but there were no such declarations from the green suited wizard. 

Noticing this, Kakashi peaked open his eye, and studied Gai carefully. He wasn’t looking at Kakashi, and his face was drawn up into that pensive look again, like he was considering something heavy and weighted in his thoughts. 

“Gai?” Kakashi inquired, careful and curious. “Is everything all right?” 

Gai took a moment to answer, but he shook his head, and leveled Kakashi with a knowing glare, “You’ll tell me one day, right?” 

Kakashi could have played dumb. He could have asked what Gai meant. He could have forced the other to specify exactly what he was wanting from Kakashi, but the silver haired man already knew. It was the awareness in Gai’s gaze that told Kakashi that there was no use in feigning ignorance. Gai would still know. Gai would still wonder. 

How Kakashi could have missed just how aware Gai was of everything evaded him. How could he not tell that Gai was seasoned, that he wasn’t just the smiles and the loud proclamations of youth? No, Gai was so much more than the wizard who didn’t use magic. There was experience, tragic, bloody experience in the calluses of his palms and the hidden depths of his opaque irises. Gai was not the bumbling, social pariah of his class. He was so much more, and Kakashi couldn’t believe he missed it. 

Tsunade’s sad eyes, Gai’s unassuming suspicion, his father being a war hero and training him for most of his life. Gai was a veteran of the military. He had to be. There was no way that he wasn’t. He saw too much with those eyes and probably hurt too many things with those hands. 

“We’ll talk later.” Kakashi confirmed, because there was no use lying. Not anymore. “Meet me after class. There’s someone who wants to see you.” 


End file.
